Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tema and Elmina

For one person, living is cheaper in Elmina: $668 a month against $734 in Tema, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tema outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Elmina
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Elmina Living Index

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Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$734

/mo nomad

Elmina

🇬🇭 Ghana

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tema and in Elmina

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 Elmina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $734 per month in Tema vs $668 in Elmina, rent included.

Tema $734
Elmina $668

A couple spends around $1,166 per month in Tema vs $1,125 in Elmina, rent included.

Tema $1,166
Elmina $1,125

A family of three spends $1,598 per month in Tema vs $1,582 in Elmina, rent included.

Tema $1,598
Elmina $1,582

Tema costs about 10% more than Elmina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tema and Elmina are more affordable than the global median – Tema 46% lower, Elmina 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 GHS 77.2

$7.82 GHS 91.0

-15.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 GHS 329

$50.8 GHS 591

-44.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 GHS 119

Cappuccino

$4.97 GHS 57.9

$4.46 GHS 51.9

11.43%

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

$0.88 GHS 10.23

$1.53 GHS 17.85

-42.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 GHS 3.25

$0.44 GHS 5.12

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 GHS 37.45

$1.81 GHS 21.03

77.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 GHS 29.85

$2.17 GHS 25.19

18.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 GHS 36.13

$3.67 GHS 42.68

-15.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 GHS 17.72

$1.67 GHS 19.37

-8.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 GHS 23.45

$3.06 GHS 35.63

-33.99%

Eggs

$2.33 GHS 27.08

$2.68 GHS 31.21

-13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.27 GHS 49.67

$12.03 GHS 140

-64.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 GHS 36.31

$7.08 GHS 82.3

-55.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.48 GHS 40.50

$9.62 GHS 112

-63.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 GHS 29.29

$3.61 GHS 41.93

-30.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 GHS 25.37

$1.40 GHS 16.32

55.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GHS 24.19

$1.77 GHS 20.58

17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 GHS 38.65

$3.56 GHS 41.44

-6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 GHS 39.94

$2.69 GHS 31.29

27.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 GHS 32.37

$2.65 GHS 30.82

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 GHS 4.64

$0.72 GHS 8.34

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 GHS 8.30

$0.60 GHS 7.02

18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 GHS 14.37

$2.51 GHS 29.19

-50.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 GHS 101

$7.06 GHS 82.1

23.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 GHS 24.97

$1.21 GHS 14.10

77.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 GHS 34.30

$2.33 GHS 27.14

26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 GHS 20.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.78 GHS 474

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 GHS 25.35

$1.74 GHS 20.29

25.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 GHS 5.11

$1.26 GHS 14.65

-65.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 GHS 50.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 GHS 13.84

$1.34 GHS 15.58

-11.19%

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

$7,913 GHS 92.0K

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

$9,662 GHS 112.4K

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

$77.4 GHS 900

$73.7 GHS 857

5.01%

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

$14.74 GHS 171

$19.07 GHS 222

-22.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 GHS 935

$42.25 GHS 491

90.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.40 GHS 272

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 GHS 101

$12.66 GHS 147

-31.28%

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

$167 GHS 1,946

$470 GHS 5,464

-64.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,522 GHS 29.3K

$18.6K GHS 216.6K

-86.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.00 GHS 151

$14.18 GHS 165

-8.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.35 GHS 179

$18.59 GHS 216

-17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.57 GHS 495

$36.74 GHS 427

15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.35 GHS 365

$52.0 GHS 605

-39.72%

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 %)

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 Elmina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tema

$213 29.1%

Elmina

$276 41.4% 29.6% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tema

$173 23.5%

Elmina

$135 20.2% 21.7% $38

Eating Out

Tema

$139 * 18.9%

Elmina

$168 25.2% 21.3% $30

Accommodation & Living

Tema

$71 9.6%

Elmina

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Tema

$52 7.1%

Elmina

$8 * 1.2% 84.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Tema

$46 6.3%

Elmina

$55 8.2% 18.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Tema

$41 5.6%

Elmina

$25 * 3.8% 38% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Tema versus $51.0 in Elmina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $276 – making Tema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tema

🇬🇭 Elmina

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

Same time as Tema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

34,403

💱 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 Elmina 160 km

From you

Tema
Elmina

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 Elmina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tema is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Tema and $1,001 in Elmina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Tema – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $734 in Tema and $668 in Elmina, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Elmina – 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 Elmina. 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.