Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Ghana Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Ghana

Name: Ghana
Address: GH

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $525 in Ghana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $860 in Ghana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $1,195 in Ghana.

Living in United States is roughly 400% more expensive than in Ghana on average.

United States (90% above) and Ghana (62% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$7.12 GHS 81.4

178.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$49.49 GHS 565

59.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$10.41 GHS 119

17.10%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.05 GHS 46.27

38.02%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.15 GHS 13.12

141.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.45 GHS 5.11

384.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$1.78 GHS 20.35

229.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$2.60 GHS 29.66

208.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.32 GHS 37.95

-67.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.68 GHS 19.14

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.06 GHS 34.91

52.29%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$2.72 GHS 31.02

54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$11.60 GHS 132

10.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$5.96 GHS 68.1

108.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$7.34 GHS 83.9

130.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.96 GHS 33.80

76.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.40 GHS 15.95

18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.69 GHS 19.25

156.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.25 GHS 37.15

52.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.95 GHS 33.72

-4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.34 GHS 26.70

32.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.92 GHS 10.51

138.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.64 GHS 7.31

253.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$2.24 GHS 25.54

362.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$7.10 GHS 81.1

108.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.42 GHS 16.19

47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.54 GHS 28.99

43.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.56 GHS 17.77

52.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$40.58 GHS 463

58.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.70 GHS 19.44

108.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.35 GHS 15.39

37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$3.64 GHS 41.59

733.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.30 GHS 14.82

-23.08%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$8,158 GHS 93.2K

335.58%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$10.2K GHS 116.9K

152.74%

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

$222 $222

$78.8 GHS 900

181.97%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$19.52 GHS 223

213.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$47.51 GHS 543

57.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$62.9 GHS 718

-29.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$18.89 GHS 216

18.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$12.37 GHS 141

21.50%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$409 GHS 4,672

249.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$15.2K GHS 174.1K

69.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$13.97 GHS 160

283.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$18.85 GHS 215

130.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$39.73 GHS 454

130.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$51.3 GHS 586

121.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$577 GHS 6,592

182.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$244 GHS 2,781

445.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$1,144 GHS 13.1K

127.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$498 GHS 5,691

342.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$3,171 GHS 36.2K

4.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$1,728 GHS 19.7K

53.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$224 GHS 2,554

1825.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

28.8

-78.44%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ghana: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $97.0 in Ghana. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $693 in Accra.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $348 in Ghana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1554% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 127% more in United States.

Public transport is 286% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1201% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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 $635 per month in Ghana and $3,142 in United States, there's a 395% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Ghana: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Ghana across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Ghana, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.