The cheapest African cities for expats in 2024

Which African countries can foreigners live in on a tight budget?

Nigeria's capital Abuja and Lagos are the top two cheapest cities for expatriates to live in in 2024, according to Mercer's Cost of Living rankings.

These rankings emphasise the importance of the cost of living for expatriates, as it affects their quality of life and financial stability.

Here are the cheapest cities in African for expats

1. Abuja, Nigeria (global rank: 226)

Abuja’s affordability is due to lower cost increases in housing and utilities, despite a drop of 86 places in the rankings.

2. Lagos, Nigeria (global rank: 225)

Lagos is the second-cheapest city in Africa for expats, influenced by currency depreciation and lower costs of basic goods and services.

3. Blantyre, Malawi (global rank: 221)

Blantyre is known for its low cost of living, especially in housing and daily expenses, despite dropping 23 places in the rankings.

4. Durban, South Africa (global rank: 219)

Durban has a lower cost of living compared to Johannesburg and Cape Town, particularly in terms of housing and groceries.

5. Windhoek, Namibia (global rank: 218)

Windhoek is attractive to cost-conscious expats with moderate housing costs and relatively low prices for goods and services.

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6. Gaborone, Botswana (global rank: 215)

Gaborone offers affordable living with low costs in housing and daily essentials, improving its rank by one place since 2023.

7. Lusaka, Zambia (global rank: 213)

Lusaka is known for its low living costs, especially in housing and transportation, although it dropped 16 places in the rankings.

8. Tunis, Tunisia (global rank: 210)

Tunisia combines cultural richness with affordability, advancing nine places to rank 210th in 2024.

9. Cape Town, South Africa (global rank: 209)

Cape Town maintains reasonable living costs for expats, especially in housing and utilities, improving its rank from 208 in 2023.

10. Johannesburg, South Africa (global rank: 206)

Johannesburg offers abundant economic opportunities with a relatively low cost of living, particularly in housing and basic services, though it dropped slightly from 205 in 2023.