LOCAL CURRENCY

The local currency in Ghana is ‘cedi’ you cannot purchase with the cedi outside Ghana. The exchange rate is $1 - ¢9000 as at first quarter of 2005.

The American Dollar, Euro and Canadian Dollars are the easiest currencies to exchange. Also bringing larger bills ($100.00) will earn you a better exchange rate than the smaller notes.

Visa cards are widely accepted in bank machines in Ghana for cash advances. MasterCard is rarely accepted, and American Express is hardly accepted at all. Using either your Visa card or bankcard in a local Ghanaian bank machine is easy, safe, secure and convenient. Please note that most of the bank machines in Ghana operate on the "Plus" system, not "Cirrus" or "Interac"

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BRING TO GHANA?

It is always a good idea to bring at least some cash (U.S dollars) with you to Ghana, even if you are planning on using your Visa or bankcard to withdraw money when you arrive. We will show you the best places to exchange your currencies ("forex". However, you might want to exchange a small amount ($10 U.S. for example) at the airport, in case you need to purchase anything before we take you to the Foreign Exchange (usually the afternoon after you arrive). We will meet you at the airport, so there is no need to worry about taxi fare to our residence.

Budgeting approximately $20-$30 U.S. Dollars per week should be enough money to moderately shop, take taxis, and use the internet cafes, etc. Internet cafes are approximately 12,000 cedis per hour, which is just over one U.S. dollar. Taxis around the cities rarely cost more that 30,000 cedis, and when shopping at the markets, almost anything can be bargained for. Large bottles of water are approximately 5,000 cedis, and most telephone cards come in 25,000-75,000 cedis denominations.

There are Western Union offices throughout Accra, and, if necessary, money can easily be wired to you from home.