There is a daily upsurge in
the cost of living and this cuts across various parts of the world. According
to a survey by Mercer, a foremost consulting agency, a list of expensive cities
in Africa was compiled based on the cost of goods and services, transport,
accommodation, feeding and leisure activities. Luanda, the capital city of
Angola was recorded as the most expensive city in Africa.
Here is a curated list of the
top 10 most expensive cities in Africa.
1. Luanda, Angola:
The capital city of Angola is
the most expensive city in Africa and one of the world’s most expensive. It is
worthy of note that rental services cost between 10, 000- 30,000 pounds. The
city which draws oil industry workers from all parts of the world, has them
paying a premium for housing, security and goods.
2. N’Djamena, Chad:
N’Djamena is the largest and
capital city of Chad. In spite of its position as the second most expensive
city in Africa, it lacks major infrastructural facilities.
3. Victoria, Seychelles:
This is the beautiful capital
city of Seychelles, Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton spent their
honeymoon on the island at a beach house villa that costs $5,000 per night.
4. Libreville, Gabon:
A major port city and capital
of Gabon, the city is home to a high amount of pubs and nightclubs. The country
is blessed with natural resources and has had its share of benefits in terms of
foreign aids.
5. Kinshasa, Congo:
Home to a human populace of
over 4 million, Kinshasa is the capital and largest city in Congo. A reporter
Philipp Sandner once said that foreigners have to pay a lot for their security,
La Cité du Fleuve, a planned city in the outskirt of Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo is being constructed on land reclaimed from
the Congo River.
6. Lagos, Nigeria:
Lagos is
often regarded as the economic capital of West Africa, a major commercial
centre in Nigeria. It is home to about 20 million people and serves as home to some
of the country’s wealthiest with houses
on the city’s island, a general increase in the influx of expatriates and
several local and international companies. Traffic jam is commonplace in this
large, highly populated, bustling city.
7. Brazaville, Democratic Rebublic of the
Congo:
The cost of living in
Brazaville stands at a premium, the capital city of Congo holds the seventh
position as one of the most expensive cities in Africa. According to reports, a
bottle of drink here costs four times more than it is in the city of Dubai.
8. Bamako, Mali:
Home to about 2 million
people the capital city of Mali is quite expensive to stay in, several foreign
companies and agencies have their base in the city, hence a level of
competiveness for the few available western standard accommodation.
9. Conakry, Guinea:
Conakry is a port city off
the Atlantic Ocean, it serves as the financial, economic and cultural centre of
Guinea. Some parts of the city unfortunately lack basic infrastructural
facilities. The cost of a 3 bedroom apartment is about $4,000 per month, the cost
for feeding is also on the high end.
10. Abuja, Nigeria:
Many of Africa’s expensive
cities are capital cities of their respective countries, Abuja is a
purpose built city to serve as the capital of Nigeria. It primarily caters to
the rich and wealthy which is one of the reason why it is reputed as one of the
most expensive cities in Africa.
