Congo, All Areas

Country Full Name: Republic of the Congo.

Location: The Republic of the Congo is in Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon.

Country Climate: Tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator.

Country Terrain: Coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin.

Major Languages: French, indigenous African languages.

Major Religions: Christianity, indigenous African beliefs.

Population: 3.7 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the Republic of the Congo is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on petroleum extraction, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. The Congo's growing petroleum sector is by far the country's major revenue earner.

Currency: CFA Franc BEAC (XAF).

Inflation: 5.2% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in the Congo is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. All Areas in the Congo is currently ranked 640 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 588 places that are more expensive, and 191 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 689 places that are more expensive, and 90 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 698 places that are more expensive, and 81 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 430 places that are more expensive, and 349 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 89 places that are more expensive, and 690 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 156 places that are more expensive, and 623 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 607 places that are more expensive, and 172 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 776 places that are more expensive, and 3 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 720 places that are more expensive, and 59 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 285 places that are more expensive, and 494 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 269 places that are more expensive, and 510 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are average compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 316 places that are more expensive, and 463 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are average compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 391 places that are more expensive, and 388 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for All Areas in the Congo are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, All Areas in the Congo is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in the Congo are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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