In African cities, high prices of food may have a significant impact on households, local economies, and broader societal dynamics. While farmers markets are more common in many African nations, grocery stores are about equally distributed. As a result, groceries in many African nations have a significant impact on food inflation and, by extension, the cost of living.
As grocery costs in a region increase, the overall cost of living is at risk of being heavily impacted, especially for low-income households that spend a significant amount of their income on food.
In many African cities, informal markets constitute an important element of the food delivery system. While this is good for the locals it could also put a lot of pressure on these informal markets.
Furthermore, in cities where incomes do not keep pace with inflation, high-cost consumables worsen food insecurity.
Many families may miss meals or go for less nutritional but less expensive food alternatives, posing a public health risk.
While some regions don’t have to deal with these issues, given their already high purchasing power, and or a manageable food inflation level, there is no denying the fact that some regions in relation to their economy have pricey groceries.
Some of these cities boast a very high grocery index, as seen in Numbeo.
The Numbeo grocery index estimates grocery prices in a city relative to New York City. Numbeo calculates each city’s index using item weights from the “Markets” section.
With that said, here are the African cities with the most pricey groceries.
Top 10 African cities with the most expensive groceries mid-2024
| Rank | City | Country | Grocery index |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Lagos |
Nigeria |
40.2 |
|
2. |
Algiers |
Algeria |
39.1 |
|
3. |
Accra |
Ghana |
36.4 |
|
4. |
Harare |
Zimbabwe |
36.2 |
|
5. |
Tunis |
Tunisia |
35.5 |
|
6. |
Casablanca |
Morocco |
34.5 |
|
7. |
Nairobi |
Kenya |
34.4 |
|
8. |
Rabat |
Morocco |
34.3 |
|
9. |
Port Elizabeth |
South Africa |
34.3 |
|
10. |
Cape Town |
South Africa |
33.9 |
