Cost of Living in Angola

The cost of living in Angola can best be described as astronomical. Most expats live in the capital city of Luanda, which topped the 2010 Mercer Cost of Living Survey as the most expensive expat destination in the world; even trumping the likes of London, Tokyo and Moscow.

The destruction and devastation caused by nearly thirty years of war have left Angola with little infrastructure to produce and manufacture goods, and even less arable land to use for basic agricultural development. As a result, nearly everything is imported and costly - even the fresh fruits and vegetables that are usually reasonably priced in even the most obscure of locations.

Transport costs are readily tacked onto anything, and as the price of petrol continues to rise, so does the cost of both basic and luxury items in Angola.

Furthermore, as large companies continue to use the capital city and surrounds as a home base for operations that look to extract many of the nation's natural resources, the demand for high-quality goods and services increases.

The cost of accommodation has gone through the roof due to a glaring under supply and over demand. Low bed capacity, and a lack of the kind of secure housing that can be used to entice expats abroad have set rental prices extraordinarily high.

Downtown Luanda

• 1 Bedroom in downtown: $5500 to $7500 per month
• 2 Bedroom in downtown: $7000 to $10000 per month
• 3 Bedroom in downtown: $9000 to $20,000 per month

Luanda Sul (Luanda's residential district)

• 2 Bedroom in Luanda Sul: $6000 to $8000 per month
• 3 Bedroom in Luanda Sul: $8000 to $12,000 per month

For expats with children, the cost of living in Angola looks even more lopsided. As the standards of local public and private schools are far from adequate, outrageously priced international schools are the remaining option. Annual tuition fees in some cases can be as much as $27,000, excluding costs for books, admission and extra-curricular activities.

Personal transport fees must also be taken into consideration. Though hiring a driver can be done quite cheaply, between $20 - $80 depending on daily needs, this can often be an unforeseen expense for many expats moving to Angola.

Day-to-day expenses mirror the costs that one would expect to find in London or Tokyo; items imported from further afield than South Africa are particularly expensive.