Congo Democratic Rep, Kinshasa

Country Full Name: Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Location: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in Central Africa, northeast of Angola.

Country Climate: Tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October).

Country Terrain: Vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east.

Major Languages: French, Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo, Tshiluba.

Major Religions: Christianity, Islam.

Population: 10.08 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has vast potential due to it's natural resources and mineral wealth, yet the economy of the DRC has declined drastically since the mid-1980s.

Currency: Congolese Franc (CDF).

Inflation: 15.4% (2011 est.).

Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kinshasa ties with Johannesburg for the status of the second largest city in sub-Saharan Africa and the third largest in the whole continent after Lagos and Cairo. Because the administrative boundaries cover such a vast area, over 60% of the city's land is rural in nature, and the urban area only occupies a small section in the far western end of the province.

The cost of living in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is high 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. Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently ranked 176 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 very 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 711 places that are more expensive, and 68 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are 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 473 places that are more expensive, and 306 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high 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 242 places that are more expensive, and 537 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 153 places that are more expensive, and 626 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are 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 190 places that are more expensive, and 589 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very 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 81 places that are more expensive, and 698 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high 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 31 places that are more expensive, and 748 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high 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 271 places that are more expensive, and 508 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average 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 366 places that are more expensive, and 413 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very 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 5 places that are more expensive, and 774 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 276 places that are more expensive, and 503 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low 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 508 places that are more expensive, and 271 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low 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 582 places that are more expensive, and 197 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of 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, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of 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:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator