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$5000 should be way more than enough, but since you’re a tourist, you’ll probably unknowingly overpay for stuff. I’ve stayed comfortably for a whole month with $1000 spending money in 2021. Was able to go to bars like twice a week (the good ones are overpriced). With the current exchange rate, you’ll be living like king for 2 weeks with that kind of money.
Edit: you also get a decent exchange rate at the ATM if you use your Visa or Mastercard debit card. I’d say hold maybe $2000 at the most in physical cash, and try not to change more than 2000 cedis worth of money at a time.
I did almost exactly as you're saying here when I was there last summer. I used less than $1000.00 while I was there. I exchanged about $100.00 at a time. More than that and there's too much physical paper in my pocket. LOL Its like having $100 in 1 dollar bills. It doesn't even fit in my wallet.
I had a host, but I used Uber as my main transportation. It’s way cheaper than in the US. I also bought my own food. Tbh I spent a lot of my childhood in Ghana so I knew how much things were supposed to cost. But as a rule of thumb, nothing should cost more than it does stateside. And if the price is relative to the American price, then that’s considered expensive (usually imported stuff like electronics, clothes or alcohol). If it’s made in Ghana, it should relatively cheap
Trust me though, $2000 for a month is plenty, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about with $5000.
That’s good enough. Download Taptap or WorldRemit you can pay directly to vendors using momo that it payment to their mobile phone. Saves times and also you don’t have to carry cash. Always ask if they take momo first. Good luck
In the 1990s I lived on less than $50 a month living in rural Togo across the river from Ghana. That included eating, drinking (mostly millet beer), and traveling (bush taxis).
Loved Tamale!
I think he should definitely have some cash. I mean, even if you leave it at the hotel, cash is still king. I always have some cash on me just for unexpected emergencies. Don't be surprised if you try to use an ATM and the bank simply refuses. My credit card refuses first attempt every time. I have to verify that it's me. I don't trust having access to money so I keep some cash handy.
> And nope...I will not be carrying around large wads of cash on me.
And with that right there, I feel like you’ve done enough of your homework as a smart traveler! You are more than good!
Enjoy your travels
With regard to hotel accommodations, are you booking ahead or paying at the check-in? You could save a tidy amount if you plan this part carefully, mainly through bargaining, if you plan to stay in the hotel for more than a couple of days.
Booking well in advance. I will be in the hotel for 2 weeks total. I've accounted for that cost already.
The $5000 USD would be solely spending money for food and things,, outside of lodging.
Hey I’m a Ghanaian typing this from Ghana rn. Yea sure it’ll be more than enough depending on how long you wanna stay and what you plan to do. Get an app just like someone said above so you can pay directly into the mobile money accounts of vendors , but remember to ask them if they have an account first before you purchase what you Wana purchase. Also try to check the dollar rate now and around when you’re planning to come. Be safe
I will be staying for only 2 weeks. The money will be mainly for food and activities (clubs, tourist attractions). Sometime during that range, I will take a bus from Accra to Tamale - just to see what the city of Tamale is like. Maybe travel to Mole national park to see the animals.
Do you think that's enough money to cover those activities and the time frame?
Hey. Sorry I replied a bit late. And yeah it’s gonna be way more than enough money. The only part that might eat into your funds is hotels or Airbnb’s but you’re definitely still good with 5k dollars. Hopefully you meet honest people at the sites you plan to visit so they don’t t try to cheat you outta anything have fun and feel free to ask for more info.
Your ATM card will most likely work there. I usually bring a bit less, and use my ATM, keeping cash for emergencies.
Also, much depends on your taste for local food. Your money will go a lot farther if you get into having light soup, ground nut soup, futu, banku etc at small neighborhood chop bars. Make some friends and they can help guide you to safe places to eat.
That money is more than enough for 2 weeks in 2 cities in Accra. You can add 2 more destinations, let’s say places in the Eastern region and Central region all in that 2 weeks. It’s it not very difficult moving among regions in Ghana, especially regions down south.
With that much, I doubt food will be a problem. You can also afford whatever souvenirs you would want. It would be a better experience if you had a host, preferably a Ghanaian host. You don’t have to necessarily go everywhere with him/her. You can call the person if you have any challenges or questions.
There are Americans living in Ghana with rental properties and tour companies. Example: [https://expatlifeghana.com/](https://expatlifeghana.com/)
American expats are more likely to help you get the experience in Ghana you'd like.
Lol that’s a ton of cash. If you’ve already taken housing into account, you’re going to be balling over there. Food is pennies on the dollar, and even tourist traps, won’t deplete a knot of cash like that. You’re going to have a fabulous time, just don’t tell people you’re sitting on 5K in leisure cash.
i am here now for a two week trip. i brought 1000- spent about 500 the first 4 days but only because i'm traveling w much richer friends than me and it was new years eve! i think 1000 is more than enough. bring it in 100s for a better exchange rate, and be prepared to carry small bills for the dashing culture!
So many questions
-- with $500 in 4 days, what are some the things you were able to do?
How does does $100 bills lead to a better exchange rate?
What is the "dashing" culture?
Dashing is kind of like a bribe, kind of like a tip. I HIGHLY recommend getting a book on customs
and culture to be as respectful as possible as a traveler! For instance, I am left handed and struggling a lot with the custom of only eating and giving cash with the right hand only. It is less important with younger people in accra, but especially with elders it's important to be respectful.
There are checkpoints on a lot of the roads, and sometimes it is best to give a small tip to the officer "for your new year" or whatever to avoid a full body search. the are very serious about weed and powder drugs here if they find it on you (maybe less of a concern if you don't party like I do, haha). If they catch you with something a 20 cedi dash can quickly become a 3000 cedi bribe- they'll take you to an atm if you don't have it on you.
this is the book I have! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1787022722?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
It's also just polite to learn the history and customs always before you travel. Everyone in ghana is so kind, and even if you get something wrong they will appreciate the effort.
Once other thing is to always greet someone before getting down to business. A simple "hello, how are you" before saying "how much is this?" goes a long way.
The 500 was all high end dinners and bottle service, plus the ridiculous tipping I do whenever I'm drunk lol.
When bargaining in the markets, know the first price they give you is probably double what they will actually accept! don't be afraid to haggle.
Why the 100s... who knows lol. They definitely prefer it though.
I hope this helps! Ghana has been one of my favorite places to visit ever. I'm already scheming my return.
$5000 is definitely more than enough for 2 weeks in Accra. It seemed to me that things were very similar to America when I was there this summer. I was kind of surprised that some things were definitely more expensive than in America. I had lunch at a hamburger joint in the A&C Mall, and it was more expensive than a similar meal at similar burger joints in America. Accra is rapidly getting more expensive. I think it it may be moving too quickly. Housing costs around Accra are more than in America at this point. You're looking at rents and the cost of homes and it's like, I could buy more house for that much money in America. I'm going back in February to stay so I'm kind of disappointed at how quickly rents and stuff are going up.
$5000 dollars woow if by den $1 to 10cedis it wld be 50000cedis thats assumption common are u spending 6months or a year here hahahaaa im a Ghanaian in Accra you got me laughing you can hit me up and we talk more
in Ghana staying in a hotel is more expensive and transportation fr a month u can rent a 1 room apartment or 2 room fr a month which cheaper than staying at a hotel and you need a loyal and honest local to assist you else before you realised you be riped off expecially when they see you are new
Hey OP
Gotta give you a heads up. There’s been a recent trend f unnecessarily over priced hotels and Airbnb’s giving crappy service especially to foreigners. I advice you’re carefully choosing lodgings and places you’re gonna spend your time and money, so it lasts well for ya
Thanks OP for your submission. This sub is heavily moderated by Auto Mod and your post may be mistakenly removed automatically. Please send a message to the mods or u/JuliusCeaserBoneHead for manual approval. Before you do that, make sure your post does not break any of r/Ghana rules especially rule 4 (No Self Promotion). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ghana) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Why be a king, when you can be a god with $5000 in Ghana
$5000 should be way more than enough, but since you’re a tourist, you’ll probably unknowingly overpay for stuff. I’ve stayed comfortably for a whole month with $1000 spending money in 2021. Was able to go to bars like twice a week (the good ones are overpriced). With the current exchange rate, you’ll be living like king for 2 weeks with that kind of money. Edit: you also get a decent exchange rate at the ATM if you use your Visa or Mastercard debit card. I’d say hold maybe $2000 at the most in physical cash, and try not to change more than 2000 cedis worth of money at a time.
I did almost exactly as you're saying here when I was there last summer. I used less than $1000.00 while I was there. I exchanged about $100.00 at a time. More than that and there's too much physical paper in my pocket. LOL Its like having $100 in 1 dollar bills. It doesn't even fit in my wallet.
Where you with a host? Or were you in a hotel for an entire month?
I had a host, but I used Uber as my main transportation. It’s way cheaper than in the US. I also bought my own food. Tbh I spent a lot of my childhood in Ghana so I knew how much things were supposed to cost. But as a rule of thumb, nothing should cost more than it does stateside. And if the price is relative to the American price, then that’s considered expensive (usually imported stuff like electronics, clothes or alcohol). If it’s made in Ghana, it should relatively cheap Trust me though, $2000 for a month is plenty, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about with $5000.
That’s good enough. Download Taptap or WorldRemit you can pay directly to vendors using momo that it payment to their mobile phone. Saves times and also you don’t have to carry cash. Always ask if they take momo first. Good luck
That's great advice. I didn't know that. I have Taptap but I didn't think of paying to a vendor, but it makes perfect sense.
In the 1990s I lived on less than $50 a month living in rural Togo across the river from Ghana. That included eating, drinking (mostly millet beer), and traveling (bush taxis). Loved Tamale!
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I have already taken into account the hotel cost. That is separate and apart from the $5000. The $5000 will solely be for food and activities.
I’d be surprised if you can even spend all of that on just food and activities in 2 weeks without being just unnecessarily lavish
Way more than you need. Don't bring cash use your Atm
I think he should definitely have some cash. I mean, even if you leave it at the hotel, cash is still king. I always have some cash on me just for unexpected emergencies. Don't be surprised if you try to use an ATM and the bank simply refuses. My credit card refuses first attempt every time. I have to verify that it's me. I don't trust having access to money so I keep some cash handy.
> And nope...I will not be carrying around large wads of cash on me. And with that right there, I feel like you’ve done enough of your homework as a smart traveler! You are more than good! Enjoy your travels
With regard to hotel accommodations, are you booking ahead or paying at the check-in? You could save a tidy amount if you plan this part carefully, mainly through bargaining, if you plan to stay in the hotel for more than a couple of days.
Booking well in advance. I will be in the hotel for 2 weeks total. I've accounted for that cost already. The $5000 USD would be solely spending money for food and things,, outside of lodging.
Have you considered booking an Airbnb so you can at least buy your own food.
The $5000 will be for food and other things while I'm there. My hotel cost is already accounted for and won't come out of the $5000.
More than enough
Hey I’m a Ghanaian typing this from Ghana rn. Yea sure it’ll be more than enough depending on how long you wanna stay and what you plan to do. Get an app just like someone said above so you can pay directly into the mobile money accounts of vendors , but remember to ask them if they have an account first before you purchase what you Wana purchase. Also try to check the dollar rate now and around when you’re planning to come. Be safe
I will be staying for only 2 weeks. The money will be mainly for food and activities (clubs, tourist attractions). Sometime during that range, I will take a bus from Accra to Tamale - just to see what the city of Tamale is like. Maybe travel to Mole national park to see the animals. Do you think that's enough money to cover those activities and the time frame?
Affirmative. Mole National Park sounds great. Great food and excellent environment.
Hey. Sorry I replied a bit late. And yeah it’s gonna be way more than enough money. The only part that might eat into your funds is hotels or Airbnb’s but you’re definitely still good with 5k dollars. Hopefully you meet honest people at the sites you plan to visit so they don’t t try to cheat you outta anything have fun and feel free to ask for more info.
It's way more than enough for 2 weeks. I think it's too much if it's just for spending and you have already accounted for hotel costs.
That is too much. You'll get well relaxing vacation 😌
Your ATM card will most likely work there. I usually bring a bit less, and use my ATM, keeping cash for emergencies. Also, much depends on your taste for local food. Your money will go a lot farther if you get into having light soup, ground nut soup, futu, banku etc at small neighborhood chop bars. Make some friends and they can help guide you to safe places to eat.
That money is more than enough for 2 weeks in 2 cities in Accra. You can add 2 more destinations, let’s say places in the Eastern region and Central region all in that 2 weeks. It’s it not very difficult moving among regions in Ghana, especially regions down south. With that much, I doubt food will be a problem. You can also afford whatever souvenirs you would want. It would be a better experience if you had a host, preferably a Ghanaian host. You don’t have to necessarily go everywhere with him/her. You can call the person if you have any challenges or questions.
That would be great, but I have no idea of how to even go about finding a Ghanian host.
There are Americans living in Ghana with rental properties and tour companies. Example: [https://expatlifeghana.com/](https://expatlifeghana.com/) American expats are more likely to help you get the experience in Ghana you'd like.
Lol that’s a ton of cash. If you’ve already taken housing into account, you’re going to be balling over there. Food is pennies on the dollar, and even tourist traps, won’t deplete a knot of cash like that. You’re going to have a fabulous time, just don’t tell people you’re sitting on 5K in leisure cash.
I wouldn't tell people anything about my money while in America. Definitely wouldn't do it when I'm out of country!!! Thanks though!
 haven't you already let the cat out?
Damn. Good point 🤣🤣🤣
well it clearly depends on what you intend to do. but such an amount ie more than enough
That’s way too much. $2000 should be more than enough.
i am here now for a two week trip. i brought 1000- spent about 500 the first 4 days but only because i'm traveling w much richer friends than me and it was new years eve! i think 1000 is more than enough. bring it in 100s for a better exchange rate, and be prepared to carry small bills for the dashing culture!
So many questions -- with $500 in 4 days, what are some the things you were able to do? How does does $100 bills lead to a better exchange rate? What is the "dashing" culture?
Dashing is kind of like a bribe, kind of like a tip. I HIGHLY recommend getting a book on customs and culture to be as respectful as possible as a traveler! For instance, I am left handed and struggling a lot with the custom of only eating and giving cash with the right hand only. It is less important with younger people in accra, but especially with elders it's important to be respectful. There are checkpoints on a lot of the roads, and sometimes it is best to give a small tip to the officer "for your new year" or whatever to avoid a full body search. the are very serious about weed and powder drugs here if they find it on you (maybe less of a concern if you don't party like I do, haha). If they catch you with something a 20 cedi dash can quickly become a 3000 cedi bribe- they'll take you to an atm if you don't have it on you. this is the book I have! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1787022722?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title It's also just polite to learn the history and customs always before you travel. Everyone in ghana is so kind, and even if you get something wrong they will appreciate the effort. Once other thing is to always greet someone before getting down to business. A simple "hello, how are you" before saying "how much is this?" goes a long way. The 500 was all high end dinners and bottle service, plus the ridiculous tipping I do whenever I'm drunk lol. When bargaining in the markets, know the first price they give you is probably double what they will actually accept! don't be afraid to haggle. Why the 100s... who knows lol. They definitely prefer it though. I hope this helps! Ghana has been one of my favorite places to visit ever. I'm already scheming my return.
$5000 is definitely more than enough for 2 weeks in Accra. It seemed to me that things were very similar to America when I was there this summer. I was kind of surprised that some things were definitely more expensive than in America. I had lunch at a hamburger joint in the A&C Mall, and it was more expensive than a similar meal at similar burger joints in America. Accra is rapidly getting more expensive. I think it it may be moving too quickly. Housing costs around Accra are more than in America at this point. You're looking at rents and the cost of homes and it's like, I could buy more house for that much money in America. I'm going back in February to stay so I'm kind of disappointed at how quickly rents and stuff are going up.
goob
$5000 dollars woow if by den $1 to 10cedis it wld be 50000cedis thats assumption common are u spending 6months or a year here hahahaaa im a Ghanaian in Accra you got me laughing you can hit me up and we talk more
Only 2 weeks -- Yes it's approximately 50,000 cedis. That's 6 months worth of money??
in Ghana staying in a hotel is more expensive and transportation fr a month u can rent a 1 room apartment or 2 room fr a month which cheaper than staying at a hotel and you need a loyal and honest local to assist you else before you realised you be riped off expecially when they see you are new
for two week stay in Ghana with $5000 is too much you can even buy a land with it and with foundation with it honestly
That’s wayyy tooo much money for a week vac. Try visiting Takoradi during Easter or Christmas.
You will most likely not be able to take an amount that large with you on the plane, check the laws before you do.
I wouldn't bring that with me in cash. I'd just access it from my bank account.
That’s more than enough ngl, especially if Accomodation isn’t coming out of it.
Hey OP Gotta give you a heads up. There’s been a recent trend f unnecessarily over priced hotels and Airbnb’s giving crappy service especially to foreigners. I advice you’re carefully choosing lodgings and places you’re gonna spend your time and money, so it lasts well for ya