Check here: Fifteen most expensive cities to live in Africa

Dakar, in Senegal, ranked as the most expensive city out of 15 cities to live in Africa as of first quarter (Q1) of 2022, in lieu of the cost of living index, as compiled by Statista, a global statistics portal integrating diverse topics of data and facts into a single platform.

The Senegalese capital, Dakar obtained an index score of 50.87 to be rated the most expensive city in Africa, followed by Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, with 50.49 and Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire recording a score of 47.06 to place third.

According to the index, Morocco and South Africa were countries with more representations among the 15 cities with the highest cost of living in Africa, according to its release copied to the Ghana News Agency.

Accra, Ghana, occupies the 11^th position with a cost of living index score of 38.74, followed by Lagos, Nigeria with an index score of 37.33.

Tangier, Morocco came 13^th with a cost of living index score of 36.85, then Casablanca, Morocco scoring 36.59 with the 15^th occupant being Kampala, Uganda having a cost of living index score of 35.98.

Simply defined, the cost of living index basically looks at how much it would cost you to live in one city compared to others.

The cost of living index is a "relative indicator of consumer goods prices, including groceries, restaurants, transportation and utilities. Cost of Living Index does not include accommodation expenses such as rent or mortgage."

The definition below by Statista best describes it: "The cost of living is the amount of money needed to cover basic expenses such as housing, food, taxes, and healthcare in a certain place and time period. The cost of living is often used to compare how expensive it is to live in one city versus another.

The cost of living is tied to wages. If expenses are higher in a city, such as New York, for example, salary levels must be higher so that people can afford to live in that city."

It's important to bear in mind that the cost of living index is not constant. The last time we wrote about this subject matter in December 2021, Addis Ababa had the highest index score. Since then, the top position has been overtaken by Dakar.

It noted at a time when global events (such as the war in Ukraine) are having direct negative impacts on many African economies, it is not surprising to see an increasing uptick in the cost of living index scores across the continent.

It said as consumer goods prices continue to skyrocket across Africa, everyone is feeling the impact stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below are 15 most expensive cities to live in Africa based on cost of living index scores:

1. Dakar, Senegal: Has a cost of living index score of 50.87.

2. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Has a cost of living index score of 50.49

3. Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Has a cost of living index score of 47.06.

4. Harare, Zimbabwe: Has a cost of living index score of 45.69.

5. Johannesburg, South Africa: Has a cost of living index score of 44.87.

6. Pretoria, South Africa: Has a cost of living index score of 42.76.

7. Gaborone, Botswana: Has a cost of living index score of 42.7.

8. Cape Town, South Africa: Has a cost of living index score of 40.98.

9. Durban, South Africa: Has a cost of living index score of 40.33.

10. Marrakech, Morocco: Has a cost of living index score of 39.94.