Moving to Iowa from Ghana
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ghana to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ghana to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 3.3 times more expensive than Ghana overall. A GHS839,625 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly $161,988 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 88°F in Accra, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ghana to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
GHS839,625 → $161,988
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.3 times more
Groceries
pay 52.2% more
Transportation
pay 78.8% more
Housing
pay 3.8 times more
Childcare
pay 7.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.9 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Ghana to Iowa, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Ghana to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
41.201,086
Ghana
Key Indicator Comparison
How Ghana and Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Ghana performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa performs significantly better than Ghana across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Ghana leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iowa performs significantly better than Ghana across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Accra | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Accra | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Ghana Meteorological Agency
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ghana and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Ghana passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Ghana
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Ghana?
Day-to-day costs in Iowa run about 116% higher than Ghana on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a GHS839,625 comparable salary, that's around $40,497 in Iowa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Working remotely from Iowa's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Ghana and Iowa.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Ghana?
Ghana performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Ghana?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
Both Ghana and Iowa share the same official language: English.
