Is Living in African Cities Expensive?

Although several studies have examined why overall price levels are higher in richer countries, little is known about whether there is a similar relationship at the urban and city level across countries. This paper compares the price levels of citi...

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Main Authors: Nakamura, Shohei, Harati, Rawaa, Lall, Somik V., Dikhanov, Yuri M., Hamadeh, Nada, Vigil Oliver, William, Rissanen, Marko Olavi, Yamanaka, Mizuki
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26224160/living-african-cities-expensive
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24215
id okr-10986-24215
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-242152021-04-23T14:04:20Z Is Living in African Cities Expensive? Nakamura, Shohei Harati, Rawaa Lall, Somik V. Dikhanov, Yuri M. Hamadeh, Nada Vigil Oliver, William Rissanen, Marko Olavi Yamanaka, Mizuki LIVING STANDARDS EQUIPMENT CUSTOMER PRICE LEVELS FROZEN FISH STOCK MATERIALS BREAD INCOME REAL EXCHANGE RATES AVERAGE PRICES GDP PER CAPITA INFORMATION MONITORING POLITICAL ECONOMY PRICE INDICES WELFARE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TOMATOES AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS VARIABLES REGRESSION ANALYSES PRICE PET FOODS BUTTER ECONOMIC STRUCTURES ORANGE JUICE OPEN ACCESS SUPERMARKET LEMONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS DATA INFLUENCE CORNFLAKES MARKET DEVELOPMENT RENT PRODUCTS EXCHANGE RATES PRODUCTIVITY COST OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON MARKETS VEGETABLES BARS POSTAL SERVICES ECONOMIC SIZE INCOME LEVELS NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES PRODUCT BASKET OF GOODS CHOCOLATE NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES UTILITY ALCOHOL BEVERAGES GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT COCOA FOOD PRODUCTS CARROTS TELEPHONE EXPENDITURE HAM USERS CONSUMPTION BEEF TEA EGG WAGES COLA BEER RESULTS PRICE COMPARISONS VALUE WAGE RATES COMPETITIVENESS ELECTRICITY PURCHASING POWER GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ORANGE CANADA PRICE LEVEL CONSUMER PRICE ECONOMIC FUNCTIONS CONSUMERS BEVERAGES EXPENDITURES PRICE INFORMATION GABON EGGS MARKET MARGARINE ECONOMIC THEORY FOOD PORK VEAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS NON- ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES RESULT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRADE CATERING GDP POTATOES GOODS THEORY BLOG CORN BUSINESS SUPERMARKETS BANANAS MEAT SUPPLY PURCHASING APPLES RESTAURANTS PROFIT MARKET INTEGRATION RICE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX COMMUNICATION ORANGES LAMB PEACHES DATABASE FOOD PRICES PRICE INDEX LABOR MARKETS OLIVE OIL FLOUR FOODS PRICES USES DEVELOPMENT POLICY SUGAR Although several studies have examined why overall price levels are higher in richer countries, little is known about whether there is a similar relationship at the urban and city level across countries. This paper compares the price levels of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa with those of other regions by analyzing price information collected for the 2011 round of the International Comparison Program. Readjusting the calculated price levels from national to urban levels, the analysis indicates that African cities are relatively more expensive, despite having lower income levels. The price levels of goods and services consumed by households are up to 31percent higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in other low- and middle-income countries, relative to their income levels. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are especially expensive, with price levels around 35 percent higher than in other countries. The paper also analyzes price information collected by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, and obtains a similar result, indicating higher prices of goods and services in African cities. 2016-05-04T18:31:53Z 2016-05-04T18:31:53Z 2016-04 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26224160/living-african-cities-expensive http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24215 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7641 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Africa Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic LIVING STANDARDS
EQUIPMENT
CUSTOMER
PRICE LEVELS
FROZEN FISH
STOCK
MATERIALS
BREAD
INCOME
REAL EXCHANGE RATES
AVERAGE PRICES
GDP PER CAPITA
INFORMATION
MONITORING
POLITICAL ECONOMY
PRICE INDICES
WELFARE
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
TOMATOES
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
VARIABLES
REGRESSION ANALYSES
PRICE
PET FOODS
BUTTER
ECONOMIC STRUCTURES
ORANGE JUICE
OPEN ACCESS
SUPERMARKET
LEMONS
DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTIONS
DATA
INFLUENCE
CORNFLAKES
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
RENT
PRODUCTS
EXCHANGE RATES
PRODUCTIVITY
COST OF LIVING
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
MARKETS
VEGETABLES
BARS
POSTAL SERVICES
ECONOMIC SIZE
INCOME LEVELS
NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
PRODUCT
BASKET OF GOODS
CHOCOLATE
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
UTILITY
ALCOHOL BEVERAGES
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
COCOA
FOOD PRODUCTS
CARROTS
TELEPHONE
EXPENDITURE
HAM
USERS
CONSUMPTION
BEEF
TEA
EGG
WAGES
COLA
BEER
RESULTS
PRICE COMPARISONS
VALUE
WAGE RATES
COMPETITIVENESS
ELECTRICITY
PURCHASING POWER
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
ORANGE
CANADA
PRICE LEVEL
CONSUMER PRICE
ECONOMIC FUNCTIONS
CONSUMERS
BEVERAGES
EXPENDITURES
PRICE INFORMATION
GABON
EGGS
MARKET
MARGARINE
ECONOMIC THEORY
FOOD
PORK
VEAL
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
NON- ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
RESULT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
TRADE
CATERING
GDP
POTATOES
GOODS
THEORY
BLOG
CORN
BUSINESS
SUPERMARKETS
BANANAS
MEAT
SUPPLY
PURCHASING
APPLES
RESTAURANTS
PROFIT
MARKET INTEGRATION
RICE
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
COMMUNICATION
ORANGES
LAMB
PEACHES
DATABASE
FOOD PRICES
PRICE INDEX
LABOR MARKETS
OLIVE OIL
FLOUR
FOODS
PRICES
USES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
SUGAR
spellingShingle LIVING STANDARDS
EQUIPMENT
CUSTOMER
PRICE LEVELS
FROZEN FISH
STOCK
MATERIALS
BREAD
INCOME
REAL EXCHANGE RATES
AVERAGE PRICES
GDP PER CAPITA
INFORMATION
MONITORING
POLITICAL ECONOMY
PRICE INDICES
WELFARE
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
TOMATOES
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
VARIABLES
REGRESSION ANALYSES
PRICE
PET FOODS
BUTTER
ECONOMIC STRUCTURES
ORANGE JUICE
OPEN ACCESS
SUPERMARKET
LEMONS
DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTIONS
DATA
INFLUENCE
CORNFLAKES
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
RENT
PRODUCTS
EXCHANGE RATES
PRODUCTIVITY
COST OF LIVING
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
MARKETS
VEGETABLES
BARS
POSTAL SERVICES
ECONOMIC SIZE
INCOME LEVELS
NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
PRODUCT
BASKET OF GOODS
CHOCOLATE
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
UTILITY
ALCOHOL BEVERAGES
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
COCOA
FOOD PRODUCTS
CARROTS
TELEPHONE
EXPENDITURE
HAM
USERS
CONSUMPTION
BEEF
TEA
EGG
WAGES
COLA
BEER
RESULTS
PRICE COMPARISONS
VALUE
WAGE RATES
COMPETITIVENESS
ELECTRICITY
PURCHASING POWER
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
ORANGE
CANADA
PRICE LEVEL
CONSUMER PRICE
ECONOMIC FUNCTIONS
CONSUMERS
BEVERAGES
EXPENDITURES
PRICE INFORMATION
GABON
EGGS
MARKET
MARGARINE
ECONOMIC THEORY
FOOD
PORK
VEAL
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
NON- ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
RESULT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
TRADE
CATERING
GDP
POTATOES
GOODS
THEORY
BLOG
CORN
BUSINESS
SUPERMARKETS
BANANAS
MEAT
SUPPLY
PURCHASING
APPLES
RESTAURANTS
PROFIT
MARKET INTEGRATION
RICE
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
COMMUNICATION
ORANGES
LAMB
PEACHES
DATABASE
FOOD PRICES
PRICE INDEX
LABOR MARKETS
OLIVE OIL
FLOUR
FOODS
PRICES
USES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
SUGAR
Nakamura, Shohei
Harati, Rawaa
Lall, Somik V.
Dikhanov, Yuri M.
Hamadeh, Nada
Vigil Oliver, William
Rissanen, Marko Olavi
Yamanaka, Mizuki
Is Living in African Cities Expensive?
geographic_facet Africa
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7641
description Although several studies have examined why overall price levels are higher in richer countries, little is known about whether there is a similar relationship at the urban and city level across countries. This paper compares the price levels of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa with those of other regions by analyzing price information collected for the 2011 round of the International Comparison Program. Readjusting the calculated price levels from national to urban levels, the analysis indicates that African cities are relatively more expensive, despite having lower income levels. The price levels of goods and services consumed by households are up to 31percent higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in other low- and middle-income countries, relative to their income levels. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are especially expensive, with price levels around 35 percent higher than in other countries. The paper also analyzes price information collected by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, and obtains a similar result, indicating higher prices of goods and services in African cities.
format Working Paper
author Nakamura, Shohei
Harati, Rawaa
Lall, Somik V.
Dikhanov, Yuri M.
Hamadeh, Nada
Vigil Oliver, William
Rissanen, Marko Olavi
Yamanaka, Mizuki
author_facet Nakamura, Shohei
Harati, Rawaa
Lall, Somik V.
Dikhanov, Yuri M.
Hamadeh, Nada
Vigil Oliver, William
Rissanen, Marko Olavi
Yamanaka, Mizuki
author_sort Nakamura, Shohei
title Is Living in African Cities Expensive?
title_short Is Living in African Cities Expensive?
title_full Is Living in African Cities Expensive?
title_fullStr Is Living in African Cities Expensive?
title_full_unstemmed Is Living in African Cities Expensive?
title_sort is living in african cities expensive?
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2016
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26224160/living-african-cities-expensive
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24215
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