The city of Lagos, Nigeria, has been ranked as the second-most expensive city for expatriates surveyed in Africa and among the top 20 globally, according to the Mercer 2021 Cost of Living City Ranking.
The ranking, which helps employers navigate expatriate compensation, used New York City as the base city, and currency movements were measured against the US dollar.
According to the report, the Chadian economy, which is still recovering from the collapse in oil prices and economic shock from the coronavirus, is ranked as the most expensive in Africa. This year’s rankings found Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to be the most expensive city globally. The country’s ongoing financial crisis was cited as the reason for Ashgabat getting the top spot.
Below is a list of the Top 10 most expensive African cities for expats to live in.
- N’Djamena – Chad – Global rank: 13th
- Lagos – Nigeria – Global rank: 19th
- Libreville – Gabon – Global rank: 20th
- Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire – Global rank: 24th
- Bangui – Central African Republic – Global rank: 30th
- Brazzaville – Congo – Global rank: 38th
- Kinshasha – Democratic Republic of Congo – Global rank: 40th
- Yaounde – Cameroon – Global rank: 49th
- Dakar – Senegal – Global rank: 56th
- Douala – Cameroon – Global rank: 66th