Top 5 African countries with the highest cost of living excluding rent in 2024

The cost of living index often represents spending for necessities including food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

When these expenses are relatively high, they cause severe financial strains for individuals, stifle economic progress, and exacerbate inequality.

High living costs reduce households’ purchasing power and compel them to spend a greater percentage of their income on just the necessary expenses.

This leaves little to no space for savings or discretionary spending.

Lower-income households bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of a high cost of living.

Low-income individuals must contend with falling living standards, whereas the rich may weather inflationary pressures mostly unaffected.

Additionally, a high cost of living in comparison to income levels discourages skilled individuals from remaining in their home country.

Talented people are forced to seek work in nations with cheaper living expenses or higher pay, resulting in a brain drain that stifles local progress.

One of the largest contributors to a high cost of living is the price of rent. It constitutes a large part of essential expenses and can be a determining factor for the choice of residency.

However, even without this, some countries still boast a high cost of living.

According to Numbeo’s Cost of Living Index (Excl. Rent), this index compares the prices of consumer products such as groceries, restaurants, transportation, and utilities.

It excludes housing costs such as rent or mortgage. For example, a city with a Cost of Living Index of 120 is projected to be 20% more costly than New York City (excluding rent).

With that said, here are the African countries with the highest cost of living, even without accounting for rent.

It is worth mentioning that Numbeo’s ranking concentrates on significant economic hotspots throughout the continent rather than the whole continent.