10 Most Expensive Cities To Live in Africa

Published on October 12, 2015 at 6:06 am by Ty Haqqi in Lists

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The cost of living has increased significantly in recent years, as evidenced by the 10 most expensive cities to live in Africa. You might be surprised that Africa has several cities which can be beyond the means of an average person to live. In fact, the cost of living in some African cities outstrips even the 10 most expensive cities in North America. This is an astounding fact considering that most of the countries in North America are developed, with a high standard of living, while African countries are either underdeveloped or developing, which in turn should equate to a low cost of living.

Most Expensive Cities To Live In Africa - Luanda, Angola, Africa

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Even in the cities featured on this list, many of the citizens live in extreme poverty, which is partly exacerbated by the increased cost of living. There is an explanation behind this. A war in Angola damaged its entire infrastructure while also substantially leading to an increase in the oil prices, which were kept in place later on, hence driving up the prices.

It is oil which has also seen the cost of living rise in the country of Chad, while the profits from the sale of said oil have not been distributed to the population of the country, thus resulting in a large lower class population living in poverty (Chad is also one of the dumbest countries on Earth based on several education-related criteria). Furthermore, since the cost of living is seen from an expatriate’s point of view and since such expatriates live a life which is different from the locals, perception can be skewed in order to make the cities appear more expensive than they actually are.

This is proven by the research conducted by Mercer Consulting, which they claim to be the most comprehensive study on the topic. They have considered a basket of services as well as goods which are generally consumed by expatriates and based on the price of the basket, have devised a list of the most expensive cities in the world, encompassing over 200 cities. We have filtered the list and hence, have come up with the 10 most expensive African cities to live in.

10. Abidjan, Cote D’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

While Abidjan can be a bit expensive to travel to, the food available there is moderately expensive while it is actually the cost of renting or buying a house which can significantly strap you of cash.