Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tema and Accra

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $734 a month against $1,064 in Accra, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
Learn more

Tema Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Accra
Learn more

Accra Living Index

Jump to prices

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$734

/mo nomad

Accra

🇬🇭 Ghana

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tema and in Accra

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Tema vs $1,064 in Accra, rent included.

Tema $734
Accra $1,064

A couple spends around $1,166 per month in Tema vs $1,684 in Accra, rent included.

Tema $1,166
Accra $1,684

A family of three spends $1,598 per month in Tema vs $2,303 in Accra, rent included.

Tema $1,598
Accra $2,303

Tema is about 31% cheaper than Accra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tema and Accra are more affordable than the global median – Tema 46% lower, Accra 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 GHS 77.2

$7.94 GHS 92.4

-16.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 GHS 329

$51.4 GHS 597

-44.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 GHS 121

Cappuccino

$4.97 GHS 57.9

$4.33 GHS 50.4

14.78%

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

$0.88 GHS 10.23

$1.57 GHS 18.29

-43.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 GHS 3.25

$0.48 GHS 5.55

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 GHS 37.45

$1.81 GHS 21.01

77.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 GHS 29.85

$2.18 GHS 25.37

17.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 GHS 36.13

$3.66 GHS 42.53

-15.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 GHS 17.72

$1.60 GHS 18.63

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 GHS 23.45

$3.08 GHS 35.85

-34.42%

Eggs

$2.33 GHS 27.08

$2.69 GHS 31.26

-13.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.27 GHS 49.67

$11.85 GHS 138

-63.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 GHS 36.31

$7.25 GHS 84.3

-56.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.48 GHS 40.50

$9.56 GHS 111

-63.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 GHS 29.29

$3.74 GHS 43.55

-32.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 GHS 25.37

$1.44 GHS 16.77

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GHS 24.19

$1.82 GHS 21.20

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 GHS 38.65

$3.66 GHS 42.52

-9.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 GHS 39.94

$2.79 GHS 32.46

22.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 GHS 32.37

$2.65 GHS 30.84

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 GHS 4.64

$0.76 GHS 8.80

-47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 GHS 8.30

$0.61 GHS 7.07

16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 GHS 14.37

$2.53 GHS 29.39

-50.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 GHS 101

$7.00 GHS 81.4

24.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 GHS 24.97

$1.22 GHS 14.14

76.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 GHS 34.30

$2.38 GHS 27.69

23.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 GHS 20.06

$1.46 GHS 17.00

17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.78 GHS 474

$40.14 GHS 467

1.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 GHS 25.35

$1.68 GHS 19.59

29.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 GHS 5.11

$1.24 GHS 14.41

-64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 GHS 48.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 GHS 13.84

$1.34 GHS 15.56

-11.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$8,042 GHS 93.5K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$9,810 GHS 114.1K

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

$77.4 GHS 900

$73.3 GHS 852

5.64%

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

$14.74 GHS 171

$19.20 GHS 223

-23.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 GHS 935

$43.37 GHS 504

85.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.40 GHS 272

$70.6 GHS 822

-66.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 GHS 212

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 GHS 101

$12.90 GHS 150

-32.56%

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

$167 GHS 1,946

$457 GHS 5,318

-63.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,522 GHS 29.3K

$18.4K GHS 213.7K

-86.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.00 GHS 151

$14.47 GHS 168

-10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.35 GHS 179

$18.48 GHS 215

-16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.57 GHS 495

$36.89 GHS 429

15.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.35 GHS 365

$51.7 GHS 601

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$129 GHS 1,503

$672 GHS 7,811

-80.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.7 GHS 823

$277 GHS 3,224

-74.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 GHS 5,037

$1,069 GHS 12.4K

-59.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 GHS 2,401

$458 GHS 5,329

-54.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K GHS 118.1K

$2,839 GHS 33.0K

257.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 GHS 70.9K

$1,464 GHS 17.0K

316.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 GHS 4,924

$172 GHS 2,003

145.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.75

30.84%

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

Last update for Tema: October 10, 2026

Last update for Accra: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tema

$213 29.1%

Accra

$278 26.1% 30.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tema

$173 23.5%

Accra

$136 12.8% 21.3% $37

Eating Out

Tema

$139 * 18.9%

Accra

$168 15.8% 21.5% $30

Accommodation & Living

Tema

$71 9.6%

Accra

$277 26% 292% $206

Getting Around

Tema

$52 7.1%

Accra

$54 5.1% 3.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Tema

$46 6.3%

Accra

$55 5.1% 18.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Tema

$41 5.6%

Accra

$96 9.1% 136% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $129 in Tema versus $672 in Accra. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 146% higher in Tema, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Tema versus $51.0 in Accra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $278 – making Tema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tema

🇬🇭 Accra

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

Same time as Tema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

2,388,000 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tema Accra 24 km

From you

Tema
Accra

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

Tema vs Accra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $734 in Tema, $1,064 in Accra – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Tema and $1,597 in Accra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tema, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Accra, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Tema and $51.0 in Accra. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tema, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Accra at $1,064. In Tema it covers expenses comfortably, while in Accra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tema – 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 Tema. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Accra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.