THE Angolan capital calls itself the New Dubai and there certainly are similarities with the emirate. Luanda has vast oil wealth. If they could only get visas, which are rarely granted, tourists would flock to its beaches and nearby game parks. Following the opening of a modern airport, flights arrive non-stop from Europe and America.
But if prices in Dubai seem inflated, they have nothing on Luanda. Last year Angolas capital was the most expensive city in the world, according to Mercer, a New York-based consultancy. A bog-standard hotel room costs $400, a non-alcoholic drink in the lobby $10 (though a mere $2 in a supermarket). An underwhelming hotel buffet is $75 and a pizza on the street $25.
A taxi-ride within the city easily adds up to $50, especially since the taxi companythe only one in townstarts the meter as soon as the car leaves the depot. There are no cruising cabs. A standard flat costs $10,000-$15,000 a month to rent or at least $1m to buy. A supermarket sold a melon for $100 to a Frenchman at Christmas. He tried to sue the retailer for profiteering in a local court last month, presenting a picture of the melon plus the receipt. The judge threw out the case for lack of evidence: the Frenchman could not provide the court with the original melon, since he had eaten it.
Angola's capital: Costly even for Croesus | The Economist
But if prices in Dubai seem inflated, they have nothing on Luanda. Last year Angolas capital was the most expensive city in the world, according to Mercer, a New York-based consultancy. A bog-standard hotel room costs $400, a non-alcoholic drink in the lobby $10 (though a mere $2 in a supermarket). An underwhelming hotel buffet is $75 and a pizza on the street $25.
A taxi-ride within the city easily adds up to $50, especially since the taxi companythe only one in townstarts the meter as soon as the car leaves the depot. There are no cruising cabs. A standard flat costs $10,000-$15,000 a month to rent or at least $1m to buy. A supermarket sold a melon for $100 to a Frenchman at Christmas. He tried to sue the retailer for profiteering in a local court last month, presenting a picture of the melon plus the receipt. The judge threw out the case for lack of evidence: the Frenchman could not provide the court with the original melon, since he had eaten it.
Angola's capital: Costly even for Croesus | The Economist
