Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamale and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $142 a month against $734 in Tema, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index

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Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$142

/mo nomad

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tamale and in Tema

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tamale and in Tema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $142 per month in Tamale vs $734 in Tema, rent included.

Tamale $142
Tema $734

A couple spends around $215 per month in Tamale vs $1,166 in Tema, rent included.

Tamale $215
Tema $1,166

A family of three spends $288 per month in Tamale vs $1,598 in Tema, rent included.

Tamale $288
Tema $1,598

Tamale is about 81% cheaper than Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tamale and Tema are more affordable than the global median – Tamale 89% lower, Tema 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 GHS 40.12

$6.64 GHS 77.2

-48.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 GHS 329

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 GHS 119

Cappuccino

$4.97 GHS 57.9

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 GHS 9.45

$0.88 GHS 10.23

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 GHS 5.06

$0.28 GHS 3.25

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 GHS 10.29

$3.22 GHS 37.45

-72.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 GHS 14.61

$2.57 GHS 29.85

-50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 GHS 34.94

$3.11 GHS 36.13

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 GHS 19.80

$1.52 GHS 17.72

11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 GHS 43.29

$2.02 GHS 23.45

84.16%

Eggs

$2.33 GHS 27.08

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.27 GHS 49.67

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 GHS 36.31

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.48 GHS 40.50

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 GHS 29.29

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 GHS 25.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GHS 24.19

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 GHS 38.65

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 GHS 39.94

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 GHS 32.37

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 GHS 4.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 GHS 8.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 GHS 14.37

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 GHS 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 GHS 14.97

$2.15 GHS 24.97

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 GHS 34.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 GHS 10.37

$1.72 GHS 20.06

-48.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.78 GHS 474

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 GHS 25.35

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 GHS 5.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 GHS 13.84

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$77.4 GHS 900

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.74 GHS 171

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 GHS 935

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.40 GHS 272

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 GHS 101

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$167 GHS 1,946

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,618 GHS 100.2K

$2,522 GHS 29.3K

241.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.00 GHS 151

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.35 GHS 179

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.57 GHS 495

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.35 GHS 365

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$129 GHS 1,503

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.7 GHS 823

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 GHS 5,037

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 GHS 2,401

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K GHS 118.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 GHS 70.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 GHS 4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tamale: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Tamale

–

Tema

$213 29.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamale

–

Tema

$173 23.5%

Eating Out

Tamale

–

Tema

$139 * 18.9%

Accommodation & Living

Tamale

–

Tema

$71 9.6%

Getting Around

Tamale

–

Tema

$52 7.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Tamale

–

Tema

$46 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Tamale

–

Tema

$41 5.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tamale

🇬🇭 Tema

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

Same time as Tamale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

950,124

160,000

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tamale Tema 430 km

From you

Tamale
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tamale vs Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tema costs about 416% more than Tamale, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $213 per month in Tamale and $1,101 in Tema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $142 in Tamale and $734 in Tema. That's a gap of about 416%.

Groceries cost about 212% more in Tema, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $142 in Tamale and $734 in Tema, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tamale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Tamale. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tema makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.