Prof. Smart A. Sarpong, Head of Research and political analyst at the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), has revealed that the cost of electricity, public transport, call credit and internet data are the top three factors negatively affecting the cost of living in Ghana.
The findings are contained in his “Cost of Living Outlook Report for April 2026”, which surveyed eight of Ghana’s 16 regions between April 14 and 19. The study covered 2,350 communities across hundreds of constituencies he visited.
According to the report, 58% of respondents said electricity costs are high, 53% cited public transport as expensive and 45% said water costs are high. Food costs were described as high by 47.7% of respondents, while 43.1% said the same about private transport.
Prof. Sarpong called on the Ministers of Transport, Energy and Green Transition and Communication to act swiftly, urging the Transport Ministry in particular to address the hardship faced by passengers and commercial trotro drivers.
The survey also found that cooking at home remains cheaper than buying food outside.
For a household of three to five members, a 10kg bag of rice provides about 12 meals a month, while households consume between eight and 26 tins of ideal milk monthly, with a tin selling at GH¢23.
Rent for a two-bedroom apartment averaged GH¢1,125.60 per month.
On income versus expenditure, most respondents in the private sector earn between GH¢1,000 and GH¢2,000 with only 6.6% of public sector workers falling within that range.
The report noted that 58% of private sector workers earn GHc200 or less, compared to 19.7% of public sector workers.
Prof. Sarpong said Public perception of the cost of living has shifted sharply and that while 68.8% of citizens said the cost of living was low in 2025 compared to 2024, only 17.4% held that view when comparing the end of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026.
As of the first quarter of 2026, 28.3% said it was very low, 33% said moderate, and 48.65% said it was high to very high.
Overall, the perception that the cost of living is lower than in 2024 fell from 68.6% to 17.4%, while the share of citizens who see it as high rose by 11.7 percentage points, from 28.2% last year to 39.9%.
The report also noted only a 3% gap between those who see the cost of living as higher in 2026 and those who see it as the same as 2025.
Prof. Sarpong explaining the data to newsmen hoped it would guide relevant stakeholders to act quickly to ease the burden on households.
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