Top 5 most expensive African cities by cost of living in 2025

Here’s a breakdown of the five cities with the highest living costs on the continent according to Numbeo, the world’s largest database of user-contributed data on cities and countries founded in by former Google software engineer Mladen Adamovic, to provide detailed information on cost of living, housing, healthcare, traffic, crime, and quality of life worldwide.

The platform’s Cost of Living Index is calculated using crowdsourced price data for goods, services, rent, and utilities, submitted by residents across the globe.

Here are the top five cities:

1. Harare, Zimbabwe — Cost of Living Index: 36.6

Harare tops the list as Africa’s most expensive city to live in. Persistent economic instability and rampant inflation have pushed consumer prices to unsustainable levels, straining household budgets for basic needs such as food and utilities. Numbeo places the city at the very top, with no African city surpassing its index score.

2. Johannesburg, South Africa — Index: 33.2

As South Africa’s financial and commercial hub, Johannesburg comes in second. High costs are driven mainly by expensive housing markets, elevated utility fees, and robust demand for urban services. The city’s affluent suburbs and thriving economic activity contribute to its elevated living index.

3. Accra, Ghana — Index: 31.8

Accra claims the third position, as a rising economic centre facing rapidly increasing costs of housing, transportation, and food, largely fueled by inflation and surging consumer demand.

4. Casablanca, Morocco — Index: 31.4

Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and main economic power centre, ranks fourth. Costs here are elevated by urban infrastructure needs, rising rents, and escalating price levels across food and services.

5. Cape Town, South Africa — Index: 31.3

Cape Town rounds out the top five, tied with Pretoria in living costs. High property prices, especially in scenic or highly desirable neighbourhoods, have kept housing and overall living costs elevated.

These rankings directly reflect the steep price of everyday life in select African cities. From housing and utilities to food and commuting, residents feel the pinch.

For example, Cape Town’s housing market has ballooned, with home prices exceeding R2.23 million (about $120,000) as of September 2024, doubling rates in other major South African cities.

Similarly, Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech face sustained price hikes. In 2025 alone, Rabat’s rental costs were measured 2.2% higher than Casablanca, and 34.1% more expensive than Marrakech.