Moving to Switzerland from Ghana

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Ghana to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 6.6 times more expensive than Ghana overall. A GHS832,383 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly CHF261,971 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bern averages 55°F vs 88°F in Accra, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

GHS832,383 CHF261,971

To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 7.7 times more

Groceries

pay 2.5 times more

Transportation

pay 4.0 times more

Housing

pay 6.2 times more

Childcare

pay 15.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.4 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GHS = 0.0718 CHF (June 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 Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
90 ↓ 12% vs 2022

people moved from Ghana to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Switzerland?

Top countries of origin for Switzerland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

GH
1.8
CH
0.5
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

GH
83%
CH
72%

Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Ghana leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

GH
$234
CH
$10,602
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

GH
1.4
CH
44.4

Ghana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GH
89.0
CH
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GH
0.7t
CH
3.7t

Ghana generally does better on environment, though Switzerland leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GH
0.6
CH
47.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GH
6.3%
CH
6.5%

Switzerland generally does better on infrastructure, though Ghana leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

GH
3.1%
CH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

GH
$6,700
CH
$82,900

Ghana generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

GH
69.4 yrs
CH
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GH
32.6
CH
3.6

Switzerland performs significantly better than Ghana across all family life metrics.

Data: Ghana Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

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

Bern Rain: 42.8 in/yr (1086 mm)
55° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Accra Bern
Jan–Mar 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) 70°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) 46°/36°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month Accra Bern
Jan 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C)
Feb 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C)
Mar 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C)
Apr 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C)
May 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C)
Jul 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C)
Oct 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C)
Nov 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C)
Dec 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C)

Data: Ghana Meteorological Agency Ghana Meteorological Agency, MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ghana and Switzerland. To live, work, or study long-term in Switzerland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Switzerland's immigration authority.

Ghana passport

Ghana passport holder visiting Switzerland

Visa Required
Ghana passport holders need a visa to enter Switzerland.
Switzerland passport

Switzerland passport holder visiting Ghana

Visa Required
Switzerland 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 Switzerland than Ghana?

Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 338% higher than Ghana on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a GHS832,383 comparable salary, that's around CHF65,493 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Switzerland?

With 47.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Ghana and Switzerland.

Is Switzerland safe for expats?

Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Ghana leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Ghana. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Ghana?

Ghana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 1.4 in Ghana. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ghana: 48).

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

The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 in.

What language do they speak in Switzerland?

The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Ghana, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

GH CH
Population 33,107,275 8,508,698
Currency Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) Swiss Franc (CHF)
Languages English French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +233 +41
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112