cost
Cost of Living Index
Ghana61.5 / 100
South Africa89.8 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Ghana leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Ghana leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Ghana leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Ghana | 61.5 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | South Africa | 89.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Ghana | 34.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | South Africa | 77.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Ghana | $2,354 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | South Africa | $2,607 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Ghana | 12.7x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | South Africa | 13.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Ghana | $199/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | South Africa | $522/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Ghana | 3.0% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | South Africa | 32.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Ghana | 64.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | South Africa | 62.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Ghana | 75.2 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | South Africa | 73.5 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
No clear winner across 22 metrics.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Ghana leads cost, rent, and housing; South Africa leads safety, salary, and environment.
cost
Ghana
61.5
South Africa
89.8
safety
Ghana
34.1
South Africa
77.3
housing
Ghana
$2,354
South Africa
$2,607
housing
Ghana
12.7x
South Africa
13.9x
jobs
Ghana
$199/mo
South Africa
$522/mo
jobs
Ghana
3.0%
South Africa
32.4%
health
Ghana
64.7
South Africa
62.5
health
Ghana
75.2 years
South Africa
73.5 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Ghana
1.9%
South Africa
1.2%
education
Ghana
60.6
South Africa
76.2
transport
Ghana
70.4
South Africa
71.3
safety
Ghana
1.8 per 100k
South Africa
43.7 per 100k
safety
Ghana
72.5 per 100k
South Africa
61.0 per 100k
health
Ghana
10.5%
South Africa
13.5%
quality
Ghana
6.9
South Africa
8
housing
Ghana
$1,865/sqm
South Africa
$1,704/sqm
religion
Ghana
69.6%
South Africa
77.3%
religion
Ghana
80.6%
South Africa
76.2%
religion
Ghana
38.6%
South Africa
48.4%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.