Is tamale a good place to live in 2026? i’m not sure, but i’d write a 10,000-word essay about it at 3am if i had the time (or the willpower)

so yeah, tamale? it’s a city that’s got potential but also that weird mix of hope and… questionable decisions by the government or something. i moved here last year as a broke student, and let me tell you, the rent situation here is brutal. i found a place for $200 a month near the old train station, but the landlord once asked me to fix his broken fridge with my bare hands because he didn’t own a tool. data-wise, the cost of living is lower than accra on paper, but if you’re not careful with your money here, you’ll end up with empty pockets and a fridge full of expired soy sauce.

safety? it’s not war-torn or anything, but i’ve heard from multiple sources (some drunk, some probably just sleep-deprived) that the police here don’t exactly have your back. i mean, they’ll stop you if you’re selling drugs on the street, i guess, but walking alone at night? nah. i stuck to the ring road. it’s loud, it’s already crowded with guys selling water and scotch whiskey at 2am, but it’s safer. i’ve never had a problem, but that’s just my luck.

job market? if you’re a software developer or a nurse, maybe. there’re a few tech companies setting up shop, but most jobs are either at the university or in the government. i’ve seen people here working multiple gigs just to pay the bills. one guy I met at the market was a freelance photographer and a part-time taxi driver. meanwhile, the art scene? it’s tiny. i’ve seen maybe three murals in my whole time here. one was a guy painting a tractor with angry eyes. it was solid.

weather? it’s that dry, dusty kind of weather where you forget to hydrate until you have a painful headache. last week it rained for 12 hours straight, which everyone hated because now the dirt roads are mud pits. neighbors? the closest thing to a neighbor i have is a guy who plays loud reggae music every morning from his balcony. he also owns a goat that eats my trash. i’ve gotten to know him. he’s friendly.

once, i overheard two old guys at the bus station say that tamale was somehow once a German colonial outpost. that’s either a joke or a really specific historical fact. i can’t fact-check that right now, but i jot it down because it’s interesting. another time, a local told me not to drink at the old club downtown because the bouncer once arrested a guy for ‘dancing too smoothly’. i told him that’s not fair, but he said, ‘you don’t know what they’re laughing at.’

i’ve seen reviews online where people say tamale is perfect for adventurers and budget travelers. yelp has a thread about the best jollof rice here, and tripadvisor recommends the market for cheap eats. but then there’s this subreddit where locals are complaining about the traffic. it’s so bad that sometimes you’ll sit in a bottleneck for three hours just to go to a grocery store. i’ve learned to leave early. or just order from a pilpel delivery app and eat in my room.

the outside world? if you’re in tamale and want to leave, you’re either driving 5 hours to kashmir or flying to accra. both are nightmares. kashmir has that stupid checkpoint thing where they ask you to explain why you’re moving so fast. accra’s a 2-hour flight, but then you’re in a city where everyone’s expensive and judgmental. but hey, if you need a fresh perspective, there’s kumasi. it’s got that industrial feel and amazing museums.

nobody here is perfect. the city council is still stuck in 2005, the Wi-Fi is spotty outside the mall, and the tap water tastes like regret. but sometimes, when i’m sitting on my couch with a half-full glass of water (yes, you can buy water here for $0.50 and it’s fine), i think, ‘maybe this place is just… different. and that’s okay.’

p.s. if you’re reading this, don’t trust anyone who says tamale has a beach. it doesn’t. that’s a lie someone told to get you to visit. check this tripadvisor link for real food spots. yelp has some scathing reviews about the nightlife. and if you want to join the chaos, this subreddit is where the locals complain about everything. here’s a photo of the market i used to visit for $1 dishes. another shot of the city from above. you’re welcome.')

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