Living in Ghana vs the United States: Daily Life Compared (Part 1)

One thing I’m constantly reminded of, living in Ghana, is that the world may be small within the context of us living in a global society, but the globe is still very large geographically. I’ve spent most of my life living in the United States. And transitioning to Ghana, if you’re dedicated to doing so, isn’t as difficult as a lot of people think.

That’s what I mean about the world now being a small place. Many of the things you find in the U.S. are more or less available in Ghana.  This is despite the countries being well over 3,000 miles apart and being located in two different hemispheres.

But at the same time, as a resident of Ghana, I’m reminded around every corner that I’m not in Kansas anymore, if you will. As compared to the U.S., this country is woefully underdeveloped. Even the natives regularly complain about that fact, and it will affect you even more if you’re someone who hasn’t grown up in these types of environments.

GHANA ‘THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE MONEY’

So what you often heard said is something like ‘Ghana is the best country in the world to live in, if you have money’. In other words, you have to more or less be rich to enjoy the best of Ghana while retaining a Western standard of living. And I’m not saying that living like a Westerner is explicitly the goal. But what I’ve come to learn is that many of things we take for granted stateside, even basic amenities, can be akin to luxuries in this part of the world. A poor American is, in many respects, better off than a well-paid Ghanaian. That’s why many Africans, even educated professionals, would rather live in the U.S.

Even if you have a million dollars, you’re still likely to face certain challenges in GH. This may be one of the best countries in the world from a natural and social perspective.  But generally speaking, life can be more difficult here than in the United States.

There are a vast number of variables that contribute to that dynamic, maybe even enough to fill out an entire book. But in the meantime, in collaboration with Explore with Kojo, I will compare and contrast 17 of those differences, in a four-part series titled “Living in Ghana vs. the United States”.

WATER & ELECTRICITY ISSUES

I want to begin with the basic amenities, as their inconsistency is of universal concern in GH. In recent times, the country has improved dramatically in terms of water access and electricity flow but remains years behind when compared to the States. These types of issues, i.e. inconsistent amenities or lack of access altogether, are arguably the biggest difference between living in the U.S. and Ghana.

I resided in the States over the span of four decades and can only remember once the lights going off. That was when I was in college, and besides being a planned, announced, short maintenance, it only affected the institution, not the surrounding community.  But it still felt strange because up until then, I had never experienced a blackout.

I know that these days, with recurring natural disasters and things of the such, interruptions in amenities have become more common stateside.  But still, it’s nothing like Ghana where most residents, including myself to some degree, have grown accustomed to sporadic, unannounced blackouts or “dumsor”, as it is called when things get really bad. And in reality, you can never truly get used to watching TV for instance and having it suddenly go off – for an indeterminable amount of time – while you’re enthralled in a program.

So having access to a generator or power plant is more or less a necessity in GH, especially if you’re running a business that relies on electricity.  Yet most people in the country don’t own such items. Besides being pricey in and of themselves, there’s also the cost of regular maintenance and fuel. So if you move to Ghana, my recommendation is to use some of those dollars to make sure your residence and business are connected to an alternate power supply.

WATER STORAGE A NECESSITY IN GH

The same goes for water, which is a more serious matter all things considered. Again, during my time in the States, I can’t say I ever recall turning on the tap, and nothing coming out. Contrastingly, there are areas and houses in Ghana that have yet to be connected to water pipes.  And even in localities where they are extant, the flow is sporadic and unpredictable.

So very much unlike the States, virtually every home in Ghana practices some degree of water storage. For example, water tanks are big business in this county.  It’s also commonly necessary to rely on buckets and other forms of storage. Meanwhile, I don’t ever remember having to store water, not even once, stateside.

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES

One of the bigger mistakes I made upon moving to Ghana was not finding an adequate job beforehand. It’s highly unlikely that after all this time, I would still have that same job. But the point is that, regardless of how much money you come over with, it’s still advisable to secure a proper, steady source of income upon landing.

Most people who regularly travel between the United States and Ghana actually prefer the latter. But it’s virtually impossible for such individuals to remain here full time. Why? Because for instance, they may work in the States and then bring a considerable amount of their earnings over to invest/spend in Ghana. But the possibility of replicating a Western income in this part of the world is almost impossible.

Even high-paid Ghanaian professionals can rationalize going to the States to do menial jobs. You may have read the story, which made international headlines, of the Ghanaian chief who’s a taxi driver in New York. There’s this one Ghanaian celebrity who’s currently stateside working as a Uber driver. I personally know this dude who was a moderately-high level politician in Ghana – nice house and all – who’s now in NYC working for UPS. There’s this Ghanaian chief who’s just a school security guard in the States. But here in GH, once he brings those dollars over, he’s akin to a rich man.

DOLLARS ARE SCARCE IN GHANA

I have a college education. But if you were to translate my Ghanaian earnings into U.S. dollars, my niece in the States, who just graduated high school and work at McDonald’s, makes more. That can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes.

But the point isn’t that Ghana should be avoided. Rather, try to have a high-paying job upon arrival. Or with some Americans, they have the likes of social security or pension checks coming in regularly, through the U.S. Embassy. Being noticeably richer than the average citizen is not always ideal, not if you’re trying to fully acclimate into Ghanaian society. But it does provide extra security against certain types of underdevelopment that are rampant in this country.

HEALTHCARE

For instance if you fall sick, you would want to be able to patronize one of the better hospitals in the country. I’m not talking about catching a cold or a mild case of malaria but being bedridden. I appreciate most of the Ghanaian healthcare workers I’ve come across, even those employed by poorer institutions. But the problem is that government hospitals for instance, based on my experience, tend to be woefully dirty.

I once spent three days in a government hospital, and the entire time I didn’t use the bathroom, because I couldn’t take the filth. At the time, water wasn’t even flowing into the facility. I’m not hating because I was very sick, and they were able to heal me nonetheless. That’s what I mean by the workers themselves being good, and govvie is trying. But at the same time, I’m like damn. This is a hospital, the place where clean water flow is arguably needed more than anywhere else.

As for malaria, truth be told there’s a very high possibility of catching it in Ghana. I was even reading that one of those Black Panther dudes from the 1960s, he tried to expatriate to Africa, but what eventually drove him back to the U.S. was malaria.

MALARIA

Catching malaria the first time is something I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy. No matter how many precautions you take, you’re in for a painful experience. It’s worse for visitors, because we don’t have a natural, lifelong immunity. But the body does develop one over time. When it comes to malaria, no time is worse than the first. But the experience can be mitigated not only through proper healthcare – including taking medication beforehand – but also having people around who are genuinely concerned for your wellbeing.

AMBULANCES

In the States, my family wasn’t rich, but I don’t remember healthcare costs being much of an issue. Neither was getting back and forth to the hospital, if necessary, even during inconvenient hours. By contrast, I have a friend in Ghana who’s always reminding me that out here, if you find yourself in desperate need of an ambulance, i.e. not only getting to the hospital but needing medical treatment along the way, you’re as good as dead, because ambulances aren’t even available like that.

EASIER TO STAY HEALTHY IN GHANA

But disease in and of itself is a lot more rampant in stateside. In GH, it’s easier to avoid the likes of obesity, diabetes, congestive heart disease and even lung cancer, because the types of lifestyles that support those illnesses aren’t widely supported. For example, unlike Americans, the foods Ghanaians commonly eat are actually healthy.

And one of the advantages of, say, lack of internal water flow is that you have to actually exercise before completing a task as common as accessing water. Americans who have certain diseases who believe coming to Ghana can eradicate or minimize them are correct, if they can permanently adjust to the local lifestyle. But they shouldn’t be expecting some type of miracle cure.

One of the things that commonly kills people, i.e. young men, in GH is alcohol abuse. Being addicted to alcohol sucks, no matter where you live.  But out here the type that is commonly taken, “akpeteshie”, is extremely potent. Some varieties feel like you’re drinking car fuel.

The ultimate point being made is that Ghanaians may have a lower life expectancy than Americans. But due to the culture, it’s easier to remain healthy here than in the States. The feasible goal, in this part of the world, isn’t so much to afford healthcare as it is to avoid medical facilities altogether, as much as reasonably practical.

POLITICS

One of the ways in which Ghana and the U.S. are more similar is in politics.  For instance, just like there are two main political parties stateside, so it is in GH. In recent years, when Republicans are in power in the States, their Ghanaian counterpart, the National Democratic Party, also holds office. Then, when it’s rather the Democrats who win the election, we have the National Patriotic Party in GH.

Another similarity is that there are people who are very passionate about politics in both countries.  Concurrently, there are also many who feel that the government is not living up to its responsibilities, regardless of who’s in power.

GOVERNMENT MORE POWERFUL STATESIDE

One difference though is that the presence of the government is a lot more palpable stateside, in part because it is much better funded.  Most employees do not pay direct taxes in Ghana, due to the largely informal nature of the economy.

Politics is a viable professional in Ghana, especially if you get in early. The aforementioned homey that I was telling you about, he ruined a promising political career by being too corrupt. There’s a prevailing belief in Ghana that government officials are corrupt.  Up until recently, some politicians were even pretty brazen about it.

You don’t hear so much about corruption in American politics, especially at the national level.  It’s widely understood that presidents like Biden and Trump use the Oval Office to further enrich themselves.  But still, it’s relatively rare that a citizen would come and accuse them of flat-out corruption.  Or let me say that political corruption, except in extreme cases, tends to take a backseat to more pressing issues stateside.

CONCLUSION

I hope you’ll be back for part two of “Life in Ghana vs. the United States”. In the second installment, we’ll focus on crime and law enforcement differences.

More in the Living in Ghana vs the United States Series

• Living in Ghana vs the United States: Law, Chieftaincy, and Noise (Part 2)

• Living in Ghana vs America: Family, Romance, and Community (Part 3)

• Living in Ghana vs America: Economy, Religion, Race and Class (Part 4)