Cost of Living in Africa

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Teach1010
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Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2016 9:25 am

Cost of Living in Africa

Post by Teach1010 »

It seems that cost of living in a lot of African cities is considerably higher than one might expect. Can anyone recommend any schools/cities/countries in Africa that have favorable COL rates compared to the salary/package offered?
MamfeMan
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Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:09 am

Re: Cost of Living in Africa

Post by MamfeMan »

When one talks of the "cost of living" in Africa, it is all relative. Yes, it's expensive to get Western things, because they are hard to get here. Duh. So a box of cereal will cost more here than Europe. Those blueberries you love so much? Cost prohibitive. So this is what you do: you don't buy that stuff. Fruits and vegetables are available in abundance, and for cheap. If you eat and drink locally- which you will do from time to time- it is cheap. We've been able to save at least one salary at each school we've worked at. Again it is relative. It isn't a consumer society- there are no malls, no gadgets, nothing to really spend your money on. So you won't go shopping, you won't go to the movies, you won't do whatever it is people do in places that have places to spend disposable income on because most Africans don't have disposable income.

Letting the fear of the 'cost of living' in Africa deter you from working in this glorious, fascinating continent would be a shame. You'll never experience anything like it, and yes- you will still save money. So if you have a chance, do it! You won't regret it.
PsyGuy
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Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

I strongly disagree with @MamfeMan, there is much consumerism in Africa in places such as Capetown, Johannesburg, etc. There are plenty of shopping centers, malls, movie theaters, consumer electronics and "gadgets" for consumers to spend coin on.

It is more accurate if youre in a less developed region of Africa, then the COL is very low if you live on the economy. The COL grows steeply the more you rely on imports, and food isnt the only consideration. Things like shampoo, and health and beauty supplies can be very expensive or just unavailable in more remote and rural areas of Africa.
MamfeMan
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Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:09 am

Re: Cost of Living in Africa

Post by MamfeMan »

@ PsyGuy. Cape Town and Jo'burg are hardly the barometer by which someone should compare the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, LOL. I stand by my initial response.
PsyGuy
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Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

@MamfeMan

You can stand next to your inaccurate response as much as you like, its still wrong. Capetown/Johannesburg dont need to be "on the baramoter", they need to be included as members of the group that describe Africa, and they are. You dont get to dictate what standards and criteria others "should" base comparisons on.
EllieSLP
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 11:45 pm

Re: Cost of Living in Africa

Post by EllieSLP »

OP, Mamfeman's response is correct. I've spent a lot of time on the continent and one can save money if they change certain aspects of their lifestyle (e.g. eating fruit in season). Unless you're going to Southern Africa or Angola, the citizens in most places do not have a lot of disposable income. If you want to live the exact same way as your home country, you may find yourself spending money quickly. Good luck in your decision.
shadowjack
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Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Cost of Living in Africa

Post by shadowjack »

Unfortunately, most teaching jobs aren't in Capetown or Jo'burg. There was an excellent article in either the NYT or the WaPo recently about malls in Nigeria and how they were just starting up. Nigeria is one of the more advanced West Africa countries, so that tells you something. On the East coast, Kenya and Tanzania are the two more developed countries. Everything other than those three places north of Jo'burg is going to be an experience to get a lot of Western products. There will always be some for those willing to pay the price. You might throw in Zimbabwe, but Zim is a funny place and I understand from friends things are not always 'buyable' the way they are in SA.

Just my two halalas,

shad
Snowbeavers
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:56 pm

Re: Cost of Living in Africa

Post by Snowbeavers »

To answer the OP's original question, the only two that come to mind are Morocco and South Africa. AISJ in Joburg gives you a contract in USD and the Rand has devalued 35% over the last year. Prices were already very cheap to begin with but now, you are looking at a nice 2 bedroom house for around $500-700USD, dinner for 2 at an upscale restaurant around $15-20, really nice bottle of wine $3-5, and so on. South Africa produces most of their own produce so it's fresh, delicious and affordable. It really is a hidden gem.
gemmabean
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Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2015 6:55 am

Re: Cost of Living in Africa

Post by gemmabean »

I think it's a great idea to post a country or at least a region when discussing Africa. Africa is a huge continent and very few generalizations will cover the entire continent.
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