Accra vs Kumasi
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Accra edges it, 47 to 42, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Accra is stronger on air quality, internet; Kumasi on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Where they differ
- Air quality. Accra leads on air quality, 51 to 21, against Kumasi. PM2.5: 26.9 µg/m³ vs 40.7 µg/m³.
- Internet. Accra leads on internet, 44 to 31, against Kumasi. Measured download: 8.2 Mbps vs 3.8 Mbps.
- Getting there & around. Accra leads on getting there & around, 15 to 10, against Kumasi. Non-stop airport destinations: 37 vs 1.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Accra if you want
- faster internet (8.2 Mbps measured)
- cleaner air
Pick Kumasi if you want
- to spend about $61 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 65 | 67 ✓ |
| Safety | 68 | 68 |
| Healthcare | 51 | 51 |
| Internet | 44 ✓ | 31 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 15 ✓ | 10 |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 51 ✓ | 21 |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,211 | $1,150 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.83 | 1.83 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 67.1 | 67.1 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 56 | 56 |
| Life expectancy | 67.7 yrs | 67.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 8.2 Mbps ✓ | 3.8 Mbps |
| Upload | 6.6 Mbps ✓ | 4.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 37 ✓ | 1 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Accra | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 26.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 40.7 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Accra or Kumasi?
- Kumasi is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,211 for one person.
- Is Accra or Kumasi safer?
- Accra and Kumasi score the same on safety (68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Accra or Kumasi?
- Accra: a measured median of 8.2 Mbps versus 3.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); OpenFlights airports and routes; Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); IQAir city air-quality pages (yearly PM2.5 averages); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.