2025's Top 20 Most Expensive Cities in Africa: Cost of Living Breakdown

If Africa is often portrayed as the final frontier of affordable opportunity, its cost of living rankings suggest otherwise for many of its urban centres. According to the latest global cost of living index—benchmarking New York City at 100—several African cities feature prominently in the top quartile of global expense, with Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, ranked as the most expensive on the continent at an index of 86.4. This is not merely a case of affluence driving prices up. Rather, it is an uncomfortable story of structural inefficiencies, fragile supply chains, currency instability, and over-reliance on imports.

1. Monrovia, Liberia (86.4): A Paradox of High Prices Amid Low Wages

Monrovia’s dubious distinction as Africa’s most expensive city stems less from economic vitality and more from chronic dependence on imports. Virtually everything—from fuel and food to construction materials—is imported, subject to high shipping costs and port inefficiencies. Poor infrastructure and corruption at customs inflate prices further. For expatriates and locals alike, this means everyday necessities cost far more than they should in one of the world’s poorest countries.

2. N'Djamena, Chad (85.7): Expensive Isolation

N'Djamena may seem an unlikely candidate for second place, yet its geographic and economic isolation contributes significantly to its ranking. Landlocked and beset by insecurity, Chad’s capital imports much of its consumer goods via long, costly overland routes. Local markets are underdeveloped, and high transport costs filter through to prices on shelves. For expats, the challenge is not only the price of goods, but the scarcity of choice.

3. Libreville, Gabon (83.8): Oil Wealth, Price Pangs

Libreville has long benefited from Gabon’s oil wealth, but that same wealth distorts local pricing. An elite-driven demand for imported luxury goods, coupled with limited domestic agriculture, creates an environment where staples are expensive and inflation remains persistent. Libreville feels more like a gated enclave than a typical African capital, and while services can be high-quality, they come at a steep cost.

4. Kinshasa, DRC (79.5): Size Without Scale

Kinshasa, Africa’s third-largest city, combines scale with dysfunction. Food and fuel prices are high due to poor transport networks and a weak Congolese franc. Urban congestion, extortionate rental prices, and high costs for reliable electricity and clean water add further burdens. For expatriates, security concerns also drive up costs for guarded compounds and private transport.

5. Conakry, Guinea (76.0): Port Charges and Power Cuts

Guinea is resource-rich but plagued by underdevelopment. In Conakry, residents and foreigners alike suffer from the high costs of energy and erratic power supply, often requiring costly generators. Import duties are high, and logistics are hampered by frequent port delays. Food inflation remains a concern, making grocery shopping a dear affair.

6–7. Lagos & Abuja, Nigeria (72.6): Two Tales of Dysfunction

Nigeria’s economic clout is not matched by affordability. Lagos and Abuja share a high cost of living index, driven by fuel shortages, food inflation, and poor public services. The naira’s instability adds unpredictability to pricing. Lagos suffers from overcrowding and extortionate housing costs, while Abuja’s government-centric economy inflates rent and dining. For professionals relocating here, budgeting includes premiums for everything from private healthcare to potable water.

8. Accra, Ghana (72.4): Stability Has Its Price

Accra is relatively stable politically and economically, which in itself commands a price premium in the region. However, reliance on imported goods, coupled with a volatile cedi, has pushed up living costs. Electricity remains erratic, and rents in desirable neighbourhoods are high. It’s a city where middle-class comfort requires first-world spending.

9. Freetown, Sierra Leone (71.4): Costly Recovery

Still recovering from civil war and Ebola, Freetown’s high costs are driven by inadequate local production, unreliable infrastructure, and the high cost of transporting goods by sea. With minimal public services, private alternatives for healthcare, schooling, and power are essential—and expensive.

10. Maseru, Lesotho (70.9): Landlocked and Dependent

Lesotho’s capital is a curious inclusion, but one that makes sense upon closer inspection. Being surrounded by South Africa makes it dependent on imports, and yet without the bargaining power of its neighbour. The result is a cost structure where basic commodities cost more than they should. Additionally, its small scale denies it the efficiencies of a larger market.

11–13. Abidjan, Kano, Ibadan (70.3, 70.3, 68.3): Inflation and Inequality

Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire, faces inflationary pressures and a growing chasm between urban affluence and rural poverty. Nigerian cities Kano and Ibadan suffer from similar afflictions: high food inflation, poor infrastructure, and a widening gap between income levels and living costs. For residents, this means disproportionate spending on transportation, housing, and even water.

14. Brazzaville, Congo (68.0): Twin Cities, Twin Burdens

Just across the river from Kinshasa, Brazzaville shares many of the same woes—import dependence, unreliable utilities, and a narrow economic base. Prices are inflated further by a lack of competition and weak market regulation.

15. Jamestown, Saint Helena (67.8): Remote Realities

As one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, Saint Helena is utterly reliant on imports, flown in or shipped across the Atlantic. The new airport has improved access, but the cost of living remains extraordinarily high due to transport costs and limited local production. For anyone relocating here, isolation is not just emotional—it’s economic.

16. Djibouti (67.4): Strategic But Spendy

Djibouti benefits from its strategic Red Sea location and military rent economy, but it also suffers from overreliance on imports and high service costs. A significant expat and diplomatic presence pushes up rent and international school fees. For foreign workers, packages often include substantial living allowances—and for good reason.

17. Dakar, Senegal (66.1): A Rising Star with Rising Prices

Dakar is cosmopolitan and increasingly attractive to investors, but its infrastructure has not kept pace. Food and housing are expensive, particularly for middle-class families. Though Senegal’s economy is growing, inflation and urbanisation are driving up costs, especially in real estate.

18. Harare, Zimbabwe (66.0): Hyperinflation Hangover

Years of hyperinflation have left deep scars. While the situation has stabilised somewhat, Harare remains expensive. Dual currency systems, limited availability of basic goods, and erratic services mean those with money must spend disproportionately to secure reliability. Cost of living here often reflects uncertainty more than quality.

19–20. Mogadishu & Mombasa (65.7 each): Unpredictability and Tourism Tensions

Mogadishu’s security issues and poor infrastructure make it a high-cost, high-risk city. For those who must live there, costs are driven by security premiums, unreliable logistics, and constant import dependence. Mombasa, in contrast, is buoyed by tourism and port activity, but housing, utilities, and food prices have risen sharply—often beyond the reach of locals.

Conclusion: High Cost, Low Return?

What’s striking about these rankings is how few of these cities deliver the living standards their costs might imply. Unlike Zurich or Tokyo, high costs in African cities rarely reflect world-class infrastructure or healthcare. Instead, they are a tax on inefficiency and fragility. For potential expatriates, aid workers, and investors, these indices are more than curiosities—they’re cautionary tales. High salaries and generous allowances may offset the burden, but the daily grind of navigating broken systems, erratic supply chains, and price volatility can take a toll.

Africa’s urban centres have immense potential—but until economic policy, infrastructure, and local production catch up, that potential will remain costly.

Use Xpatulator’s Cost of Living Calculators and Tools for informed decision-making about the cost of living and the salary / allowance / assignment package required to maintain the current standard of living.