Ghana has been ranked 12th among 23 African countries with the highest cost of living, according to a new report by Numbeo.
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The country scored 30.6 on the Cost of Living Index, with a Rent Index score of 12.1 and a Groceries Index score of 33.3. The data highlights growing concerns over affordability, particularly in food, housing, and transport.
Ethiopia topped the list with the highest cost of living score at 43.2, followed by Botswana (39.5) and Mozambique (38.9). Other countries in the top 10 include Ivory Coast, Somalia, Cameroon, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Zambia, and Tanzania.
Numbeo’s report emphasized that while basic expenses like food, healthcare, housing, and transport drive up the standard of living, they also strain household budgets and contribute to inflationary pressures.
Despite Ghana’s high ranking, recent data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) offers a glimpse of relief. Inflation declined sharply to 18.4% in May 2025, down from 21.2% in April. This marks the fifth consecutive drop, driven by falling transport fares and a reduction in non-food inflation.
Food inflation, although still elevated, dropped to 22.8% in May from 25.0% in April, while non-food inflation declined more significantly, from 17.9% to 14.4%. Food alone contributed 9.7 percentage points to the overall inflation figure.
Transport inflation saw the most significant decline, plummeting from 14.9% to just 3.1%, the steepest year-on-year drop across all Consumer Price Index categories.
The data reflects a mixed outlook, while inflation is easing, the cost of living remains high for many households, underscoring the need for sustained economic relief measures.
