By David Ndirangu
Nairobi is back in the list of 100 most expensive cities in the world. In the Mercer Cost of Living report which was released on Wednesday, Nairobi rose to position 97, up from 123 in the previous report.
Mercer is a global consultancy firm that releases the Cost of Living and Rental Accommodation Index, which analyses changes in the prices of 200 goods and services that are commonly bought by expatriates.
The report is based on a survey conducted in March 2019. The items reviewed were grouped into various categories, including: clothing and footwear, food, recreation and entertainment, alcohol and tobacco, housing, utilities, transportation, domestic supplies, home services and personal care.
According to Mercer, the index is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.
The last time Nairobi appeared in the top 100 was in 2010, when it was ranked at position 88. Other cities from Africa in the top 100 list include: Chad’s N’Djamena (11), DR Congo’s Kinshasa (22), Gabon’s Libreville (24), Nigeria’s Lagos (25) and Angola’s Luanda (26).
This year’s report ranked 209 cities across five continents, with eight of the top 10 cities being in Asia. Hong Kong was ranked as the world’s most expensive city.