Moving to Pennsylvania from Ghana

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Ghana to Pennsylvania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Ghana to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 3.8 times more expensive than Ghana overall. A GHS839,625 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly $189,241 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harrisburg averages 61°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?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ghana to Pennsylvania.

What does your salary buy?

GHS839,625 $189,241

To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 3.5 times more

Groceries

pay 86.5% more

Transportation

pay 2.2 times more

Housing

pay 4.9 times more

Childcare

pay 8.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GHS = 0.0893 USD (August 2026)

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?

How many people actually move from Ghana to Pennsylvania, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
8,160 ↑ 54% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ghana to Pennsylvania.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

GH
10.9%
PA
34.4%

Ghana performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

GH
68.0%
PA
88.8%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Ghana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GH
3.1%
PA
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

GH
$6,700
PA
$61,506

Pennsylvania generally does better on employment & economy, though Ghana leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

GH
69.4 yrs
PA
76.8 yrs

Pennsylvania 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.

Accra Rain: 29.2 in/yr (741 mm)
88° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Harrisburg Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Accra Harrisburg
Jan–Mar 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) 71°/50°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) 81°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) 52°/34°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Accra Harrisburg
Jan 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)
Feb 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)
Mar 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)
Apr 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
May 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)
Jul 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)
Oct 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)
Nov 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)
Dec 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C)

Data: Ghana Meteorological Agency Ghana Meteorological Agency, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor 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

Ghana passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Ghana passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Ghana

Visa Required
United States passport holders need a visa to enter Ghana.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Ghana?

No — Pennsylvania is on average about 152% more expensive than Ghana. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $47,310 in Pennsylvania on a GHS839,625 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Pennsylvania?

Usually fine from major cities in Pennsylvania. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Ghana?

Ghana performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Ghana?

The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 in.

What language do they speak in Pennsylvania?

Both Ghana and Pennsylvania share the same official language: English.

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At a Glance

GH
Population 33,107,275 12,702,379
Currency Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +233 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911