Moving to South Carolina from Ghana

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ghana to South Carolina — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Ghana to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 3.8 times more expensive than Ghana overall. A GHS835,308 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly $191,052 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 88°F in Accra, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ghana to South Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

GHS835,308 $191,052

To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.8 times more

Groceries

pay 88.0% more

Transportation

pay 2.0 times more

Housing

pay 5.4 times more

Childcare

pay 8.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.7 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GHS = 0.0898 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?

Real numbers on people moving from Ghana to South Carolina, and how the trend has changed.

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

How Ghana and South Carolina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

GH
10.9%
SC
35.4%

Ghana performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

GH
68.0%
SC
87.0%

South Carolina 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%
SC
4.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

GH
$6,700
SC
$49,914

South Carolina 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
SC
74.8 yrs

South Carolina 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

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Accra Columbia
Jan–Mar 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Accra Columbia
Jan 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°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 South Carolina than Ghana?

Day-to-day costs in South Carolina run about 155% higher than Ghana on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a GHS835,308 comparable salary, that's around $47,763 in South Carolina for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from South Carolina?

Working remotely from South Carolina's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Ghana and South Carolina.

How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Ghana?

Ghana performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Ghana?

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 in.

What language do they speak in South Carolina?

Both Ghana and South Carolina share the same official language: English.

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At a Glance

GH
Population 33,107,275 4,625,364
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