Money in Ghana: What Every Newcomer Should Know

Managing money in Ghana is usually easier than people expect, but it works differently than the United States or United Kingdom. Cash is still widely used, mobile money is a daily essential for most people, and payments can vary depending on where you are (Accra vs smaller towns), what you are buying, and whether the business prefers bank transfer, MoMo, or cash.

For newcomers, the most important things to understand are how the Ghana cedi behaves in real life, how to budget across cash and digital payments, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that cause people to overpay or get stuck without a working payment option. The two guides below break down the system clearly, from everyday spending to setting up mobile money and learning the norms around fees, receipts, and transfers.

The cards below provide simple introductions and direct links to the full guides.