Moving to Ghana from Saudi Arabia

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Ghana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Ghana, you would find that Ghana is 28.4% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly GHS625,000 in Ghana to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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Is Ghana cheaper than Saudi Arabia?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 14.9% more

Groceries

pay 20.9% more

Transportation

pay 31.7% less

Housing

pay 47.7% less

Childcare

pay 5.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 34.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SAR = 3.12 GHS (October 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.

What salary do you need in Ghana?

What does your salary buy?

SAR280,000 → GHS625,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Ghana

Calculate with your salary →

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Ghana compared to Saudi Arabia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

SA
0.9
GH
1.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SA
18.5
GH
25.9

Saudi Arabia performs better than Ghana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SA
$3,475
GH
$234
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

SA
34.1
GH
2.7

Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ghana leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SA
91.0
GH
89.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SA
18.5t
GH
0.7t

Ghana performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SA
44.1
GH
0.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SA
974.2%
GH
6.3%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SA
3.0%
GH
3.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SA
$34,537
GH
$3,257

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SA
79.0 yrs
GH
65.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SA
4.7
GH
27.5

Saudi Arabia performs better than Ghana across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), Ghana Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Ghana vs Saudi Arabia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Riyadh Rain: 4.4 in/yr (111 mm)
92° / 64°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riyadh Accra
Jan–Mar 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) 91°/76°F (33°/25°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) 88°/76°F (31°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) 84°/74°F (29°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) 89°/75°F (32°/24°C)
View all months
Month Riyadh Accra
Jan 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C)
Feb 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C)
Mar 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C)
Apr 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C)
May 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C)
Jun 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C)
Jul 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C)
Aug 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C)
Sep 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C)
Oct 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C)
Nov 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C)
Dec 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C)

Data: National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology, Ghana Meteorological Agency Ghana Meteorological Agency

Can you move from Saudi Arabia to Ghana?

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

Saudi Arabia passport

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Ghana

Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holders need a visa to enter Ghana.
Ghana passport

Ghana passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

Visa Required
Ghana passport holders need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.

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 Ghana than Saudi Arabia?

On average Ghana is about 28% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Ghana?

Budget about GHS156,250 for 3 months in Ghana (based on a SAR280,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Ghana?

Connectivity is usually fine (Ghana: 0.7 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Ghana offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Ghana safe for expats?

Saudi Arabia performs better than Ghana across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ghana is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.

How is healthcare in Ghana compared to Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ghana leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Ghana, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Ghana scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).

What's the weather like in Ghana compared to Saudi Arabia?

The average high temperature in Accra is 88°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Accra receives around 29.2 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.

What language do they speak in Ghana?

The official language in Ghana is English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

SA GH
Population 36,973,555 35,064,272
Currency Saudi Riyal (SAR) Ghanaian Cedi (GHS)
Languages Arabic English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +966 +233
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 112