Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Ghana

Name: Ghana
Address: GH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ghana: $991 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Ghana
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Ghana Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇬🇭 Ghana

$991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Ghana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $991 in Ghana.

United States $2,734
Ghana $991

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,570 in Ghana.

United States $3,985
Ghana $1,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,148 in Ghana.

United States $5,235
Ghana $2,148

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $3–$1,260 in Ghana. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 176% more expensive than in Ghana on average.

The United States (101% above) and Ghana (27% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$6.87 GHS 79.9

191.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$49.92 GHS 581

60.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.34 GHS 120

14.12%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.97 GHS 46.22

39.80%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.09 GHS 12.67

144.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.48 GHS 5.61

352.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.67 GHS 19.50

266.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$2.60 GHS 30.30

205.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$3.37 GHS 39.25

-69.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.55 GHS 18.08

131.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.96 GHS 34.50

52.70%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.65 GHS 30.90

61.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$10.98 GHS 128

20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.86 GHS 68.2

115.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$7.50 GHS 87.3

134.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.09 GHS 35.97

71.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.38 GHS 16.05

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.66 GHS 19.36

167.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.18 GHS 36.98

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.82 GHS 32.82

5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.22 GHS 25.82

41.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.91 GHS 10.58

141.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.63 GHS 7.34

273.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$2.18 GHS 25.34

403.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.25 GHS 84.4

107.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.40 GHS 16.26

47.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.56 GHS 29.76

48.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.26 GHS 14.69

53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$39.42 GHS 459

50.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.65 GHS 19.19

116.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.26 GHS 14.63

49.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$3.62 GHS 42.18

724.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.27 GHS 14.79

-19.69%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$7,959 GHS 92.6K

261.29%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$20.4K GHS 238.0K

28.19%

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

$218 $218

$77.7 GHS 904

180.51%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$18.87 GHS 220

231.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$46.54 GHS 542

59.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$60.1 GHS 700

-30.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$17.97 GHS 209

26.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$12.33 GHS 144

19.22%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$409 GHS 4,755

264.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$15.6K GHS 181.6K

61.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$14.00 GHS 163

288.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$18.28 GHS 213

133.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$38.76 GHS 451

142.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$49.88 GHS 581

127.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$554 GHS 6,447

199.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$250 GHS 2,904

440.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,055 GHS 12.3K

154.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$426 GHS 4,961

408.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,225 GHS 37.5K

1.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,719 GHS 20.0K

44.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$247 GHS 2,870

1642.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

28.8

-77.26%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ghana: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Ghana

$250 25.2% 81.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Ghana

$253 25.6% 39% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Ghana

$143 14.4% 59.7% $212

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Ghana

$153 15.5% 53.2% $175

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Ghana

$54 5.5% 60.3% $83

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Ghana

$52 5.3% 34.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Ghana

$85 8.6% 19% $14

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $444 in Ghana. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $686 in Accra.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $340 in Ghana. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 265% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 60% more in the United States.

Public transport is 85% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇬🇭 Ghana

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

4 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

32,833,031

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 GHS = 8.59 USD

100 GHS = 7.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 11.64 GHS (100 GHS = 8.59 USD). 1 EUR = 12.96 GHS (100 GHS = 7.72 EUR).

GHS to USD in detail →

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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

United States vs Ghana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $991 per month in Ghana and $2,734 in the United States, Ghana comes out about 64% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Ghana: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $444 in Ghana. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Ghana, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Ghana wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.