The Five Most Expensive African Cities

Luanda, Angola

Luanda, the metropolitan capital of Angola, is the most expensive city in Africa –  and in the world — for expatriates, according to the 2011 Cost of Living Survey published by U.S- based Mercer Consulting.

Released last week , this year’s survey gauged the costs of living in 214 countries across five continents, using prices of items such as food, housing, clothing, transport, and household goods as main indicators.

The survey, which is published annually, serves to guide multinational corporations and governments in determining appropriate compensation packages for expatriate employees.

According to the Press release published on Mercer’s website:

“New York is used as the base city and all cities are compared against New York. Currency movements are measured against the US dollar. The cost of housing – often the biggest expense for expatriates – plays an important part in determining where cities are ranked.”

According to the survey, which Mercer Consulting claims is the most comprehensive in the world, the five most expensive cities in Africa are:

·                       Luanda, Angola

·                       N’Djamena, Chad

·                       Libreville, Gabon

·                       Niamey, Niger

·                       Victoria, Seychelles

While Luanda ranks as the world’s most expensive city, N’Djamena, Liberville, Niamey and Victoria rank 3^rd, 12^th, 23^rd and 25^th in the overall listings.

According to an article on CNN, renting a luxury two-bedroom unfurnished apartment costs an average $7,000 per month in Luanda as compared to $4,300 in New York. In Luanda, be prepared to pay as much as $20 for a club sandwich and soda.

On the other hand, the cheapest African cities to live in are Gabrone in Botswana, Windhoek in Namibia, Kampala in Uganda and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The full report is available here. http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings