Africa Expat Cost of Living Comparison 2020

The top 10 most expensive cities in Africa for an Expat as at January 2020. Overall African countries are some of the poorest and least developed in the world, with relatively low local cost of living expenses; however the cost of importing and transporting the international standard of goods that expatriates expect to purchase in the cities in this region makes it extremely expensive to maintain the lifestyle that they are used to.

https://www.xpatulator.com/cost-of-living-article/Africa-Expat-Cost-of-Living-Comparison_711.cfm

What is most expensive city in Africa in 2020?

Prices are out of control. Wage purchasing power has plummeted due to food and fuel prices soaring. Foreign currency shortages have got even worse than before. Inflation is now over 500%.......it is now the most expensive city in Africa and the world in 2020.

https://www.xpatulator.com/cost-of-living-article/Africa-Expat-Cost-of-Living-Comparison_711.cfm

What is most expensive city in Asia Pacific in 2020?

The most expensive city in Asia-Pacific as at January 2020 is mainly so costly for Expats due to extremely high housing costs, as well as the high cost of schooling and limited space available making rentals high. However, when you exclude costs related to housing, education, medical and transport, this city falls out of the top ten city rankings for Asia Pacific...

https://www.xpatulator.com/cost-of-living-article/Asia-Pacific-Expat-Cost-of-Living-Comparison_709.cfm

What is the most expensive city in the world in 2020?

For decades Zimbabwe\'s policies have destroyed the economy and the livelihoods of Zimbabweans, including hyperinflation that eventually led the country to ditch its worthless sovereign currency in favour of the United States dollar. In June 2019 year the government stopped the use of US dollars in local transactions. This change was in order to prepare for a next-generation Zimbabwean dollar. The impact has been severe, with prices out of control. Wage purchasing power has plummeted due to food and fuel prices soaring. Foreign currency shortages have got even worse than before. The inflation rate (CPI) hit 480.7% in November 2019. As a result there is increasing unrest, marches and protests as people battle to survive the crisis. As at January 2020 Harare has become the most expensive city to live in due the current economic crisis.

https://www.xpatulator.com/cost-of-living-article/International-City-Cost-of-Living-for-Expatriate-Professional-Migrants_716.cfm

International City Cost of Living for Expatriate Professional Migrants 2019

#HongKong is the most expensive city in the world in 2019, followed by #Singapore and #Monaco. The biggest change this year was #Harare in #Zimbabwe moving into the top 10 and #Luanda in #Angola moving out.

Hong Kong is the most expensive city due to the very high cost of housing and healthcare, as well as the strong Hong Kong dollar which is fixed against the US Dollar. An interesting observation is the fact that if 4 of the 13 baskets are excluded from the cost of living index calculation (namely Housing, Education, Medical and Transport) then Hong Kong drops out of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world. This illustrates that not everything in Hong Kong is expensive. It is therefore very important it is to ensure that the correct baskets are included in a cost of living index calculation. In running Xpatulator.com reports users will see that any of the 13 baskets can be included or excluded as needed. If for example an expatriate professional migrant is provided with housing, education (schooling for children) and medical insurance by their employer, then these baskets should be excluded from the cost of living calculation. Only those baskets that the employee will spend their salary on should be included in a cost of living index for an international assignment.


Singapore is the second most expensive city in the world for Expatriate’s to live. Singapore's education system, which is widely regarded as the best in the world, is also the most expensive for expatriates when priced in US Dollars, the cost of housing is also extremely high due to the limited space and premium on high quality expatriate accommodation, while the complex Certificate of Entitlement system makes car prices excessive, resulting in Singapore’s transport costs being amongst the highest in the world.