Cost of Living in Accra, Greater Accra
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana: CPI 25.5, rent index 16.5, purchasing power 24.6. 1BR centre rent ~GH₵8,663 GHS. Net salary ~GH₵22,878 GHS. Data: Regional.
Author: CityCost Global · Methodology · Data Sources · Last updated: 2026-08-20
Key metrics
- Country: Ghana
- Currency: GHS
- Avg 1BR rent (centre): GH₵8,663
- Avg net salary: GH₵22,878
- Cost of living index (CPI): 25.5
- Rent index: 16.5
- Purchasing power index: 24.6
- Groceries sample (milk 1L): GH₵7
- Transport ticket: GH₵7
- Utilities (85m²): GH₵495
- Restaurant meal: GH₵94
Accra overview
Use this Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana knowledge page to inspect verified living-cost signals. Figures are composed from CityCost reference data (Regional, ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation) and eligibility metadata; optional domains without verified sources are listed as unavailable instead of invented. Primary timezone reference on record: Africa/Accra. Local currency for published prices: GHS (GH₵). Coordinates on record: 5.56, -0.20. Accra is flagged as a national capital in eligibility signals. Internal tier signal on record: 5. Readers should treat city-centre references as anchors, then validate neighbourhood leases, taxes, and visas independently before relocating. Verified information is currently unavailable for: nearby airports, climate, major industries, education, healthcare, safety. Those topics are omitted rather than estimated.
Metro definitions vary across Ghana; treat city-wide averages as planning anchors and validate neighbourhood rents independently.
Average monthly net salary (after tax) on record is about GH₵22,878 GHS. Purchasing power index 24.6 describes how far a typical local salary stretches against local prices. Stress-test affordability by comparing the GH₵8,663 GHS 1BR centre reference against GH₵22,878 GHS net pay, then adjusting for your actual housing target. Offers denominated in foreign currency should be converted carefully; published figures on this page stay in GHS. Industry wage premiums are not asserted without verified payroll datasets. Students and new graduates may earn below the average net salary figure — treat GH₵22,878 GHS as a market midpoint signal, not a personal guarantee.
These values are estimated using state/regional baselines and city-tier adjustments.
Housing costs
A reference 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre averages about GH₵8,663 GHS per month in the published basket. The rent index (16.5) situates that housing pressure relative to the global baseline used by CityCost. On published figures, the centre 1BR reference is about 38% of the average net monthly salary — a stress-test ratio, not a household budget. Neighbourhood choice, building age, and furnishings can move actual leases well above or below the city-centre reference. Outer districts often price differently from the CBD sample. When comparing Accra to peers, prefer paired rent indices on comparison pages rather than converting foreign rents with informal FX guesses.
Suburban or older stock can undercut CBD averages substantially. Families should model 2–3BR premiums and deposits; students should price shared flats near transit. Cross-check Accra against nearby peers on this site before locking a budget.
Food & groceries
Accra's day-to-day living mix depends on district density, dining habits, and transport mode — use the published indices as anchors rather than anecdote. With CPI at 25.5, everyday services and goods sit below the NYC baseline on this methodology. Fixed monthly anchors on record include transport tickets (~GH₵7 GHS one-way) and utilities (~GH₵495 GHS for the 85m² sample). Lifestyle fit also depends on education, healthcare, and safety — verified overviews for those domains are unavailable on this page and are therefore omitted.
Tourist corridors often inflate dining samples. Build a personal basket (home cooking vs eating out) and compare with similar-cost cities linked below. Groceries usually move with CPI more tightly than luxury dining.
Transport
A one-way local transport ticket averages about GH₵7 GHS in the reference basket for Accra. That single-ticket proxy does not equal a monthly commute budget: passes, ride-hail, fuel, parking, and last-mile costs can dominate for some households. Remote-first workers may underweight transport relative to rent; on-site workers should model peak-hour routes before treating GH₵7 GHS as representative.
Commuters should price monthly passes and last-mile gaps; car ownership adds insurance, parking, and fuel outside this basket. Pair transport with housing: a cheaper suburb can erase savings if every commute is long.
Typical monthly budget
Illustrative single-adult monthly sketch for Accra using on-page samples (not a quote): rent ~GH₵8,663, utilities ~GH₵495, transit scaled from ticket samples, and a mixed grocery/dining allowance. Core essentials land near GH₵10,414 GHS; a modest lifestyle buffer ~GH₵11,976; a more comfortable buffer ~GH₵15,100.
Compare essentials with net salary GH₵22,878. If rent alone exceeds ~35–40% of net pay, look at outer districts or similar-cost cities linked below. Utilities notes: Basic utilities for an 85m² apartment average about GH₵495 GHS in the reference basket (electricity, heating/cooling, water, garbage — before internet and mobile). Seasonal heating or cooling can change monthly totals. Verified climate time series are not attached on this page, so weather-driven utility swings are not estimated here. Add broadband and mobile plans separately when building a relocation spreadsheet for Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana..
- CPI 25.5 · Rent index 16.5 · PP 24.6
- Currency: GHS
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation
FAQ
What currency is used in Accra?
Accra, Ghana figures on this page are shown in GHS (GH₵).
How reliable is cost data for Accra?
This page uses Regional with confidence label "★★★☆☆ Regional estimation". These values are estimated using state/regional baselines and city-tier adjustments. Optional domains without sources are omitted rather than invented.
Is Accra cheaper than Accra?
Open the side-by-side comparison for Accra and Accra for CPI, rent, and purchasing power. A single city page cannot settle pairwise rankings without the paired indices.
Is Accra expensive?
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana has a CPI of 25.5 (NYC=100). Whether that feels expensive depends on your income (reference net salary ~GH₵22,878 GHS) and whether housing tracks the rent index or a premium micro-market.
How much rent should I expect in Accra?
A reference 1-bedroom city-centre apartment averages about GH₵8,663 GHS per month. Outer districts and shared flats can price lower; tourist cores can price higher.
What salary is needed to live in Accra?
Reference net salary is about GH₵22,878 GHS. Stress-test against the GH₵8,663 GHS 1BR centre benchmark plus utilities and transport before treating the average as “enough.”
Is Accra good for students?
Students should prioritize housing: the 1BR centre reference is GH₵8,663 GHS. Shared housing and campus location can change budgets substantially versus that headline.
Is Accra good for families?
Families should model 2–3BR rents, schooling, and healthcare separately — those verified datasets are not attached on this page. Use CPI 25.5 and salary/rent as starting anchors only.
What is a realistic monthly budget in Accra?
Start with centre 1BR rent (GH₵8,663), add utilities (GH₵495), transit, and groceries/dining. Compare the total with net salary GH₵22,878 and purchasing power 24.6.
How does Accra compare on groceries and dining?
Groceries index 35.6, restaurant index 25. Sample milk GH₵7; inexpensive meal GH₵94 GHS.
Where can I compare Accra with other cities?
Try Tallinn vs Accra; Accra vs Amman; Accra vs Athens, or use the homepage calculator with any pair.
Planning a move to Accra
Accra, Greater Accra is best evaluated as rent-to-wage fit first, CPI second. With CPI 25.5, rent index 16.5, and purchasing power 24.6, decide which constraint binds your household—shelter, everyday prices, or local wages.
Next steps: run Accra against your current city in the calculator, review related comparisons, and read Methodology for source tiers.
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana: CPI 25.5, rent index 16.5, purchasing power 24.6. 1BR centre rent ~GH₵8,663 GHS. Net salary ~GH₵22,878 GHS. Data: Regional.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-20
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation
On-page labels for this view: Regional · ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.