Kinshasa vs Sao Tome - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: March 02, 2025

	Kinshasa	Sao Tome
🚶 Cost of living one person	$1120	$900
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$3075	$2253
🏠 One person rent	$578	$312
🏘️ Family rent	$1557	$626
🍽️ Food expenses	$281	$464
🚐 Transport expenses	$182	$37.2
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$975	$252
😷 Air quality	Bad	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	2 km	6 km
🎓 Higher education	31	1
😀 Quality of life	40	22
🏙️ Population	14.6M	65.5K

The cost of living in Kinshasa is 24% more expensive than in Sao Tome. Cities ranked 4732nd and 6047th ($1120 vs $900) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in the DR Congo and Sao Tome and Principe, respectively. Check the DR Congo vs Sao Tome and Principe comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.9 months in Kinshasa compared to 0.3 months in Sao Tome. Kinshasa ranked 1st best city to live in the DR Congo vs Sao Tome ranked 1st in Sao Tome and Principe, while ranked 6909th and 8798th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Kinshasa vs Sao Tome infographic

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<img src="https://livingcost.org/assets/photo/cost/kinshasa/sao-tome.jpg" alt="Cost of living in Kinshasa vs Sao Tome infographic" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"><p>Source: <a href="https://livingcost.org/cost/kinshasa/sao-tome" target="_blank">Kinshasa vs Sao Tome - Cost of Living Comparison</a></p>

Prices in Kinshasa vs Sao Tome

Prices for goods and services in Kinshasa and Sao Tome are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

	Kinshasa	Sao Tome
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$5.68	$18.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$39.9	$32.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$4.45	$8.94
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$2.13	$1.49
☕ Cappuccino	$5.09	$1.57
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.9	$1.72
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$919	$283
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$304	$187
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$1898	$608
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$1189	$473
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$134	$40.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$209	$61.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$17.3	$65.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	13.1%	7.35%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$6139	$1445
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$726	$123
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.57	$1.11
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$63.2	$48.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$11.3	$7.07
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.08	$1.51
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1	$1.23
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$1.79	$0.93
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.41	$2.09
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2	$4.54
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.09	$18.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.95	$13.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$7.96	$22.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.98	$3.12
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.15	$1.06
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.22	$3.7
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.31	$3.13
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.39	$2.36
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.26	$1.84
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.66	$1.17
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.37	$1.25
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$11	$6.27
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$2.07	$1.18
🚬 Cigarette pack	$4.27	$2.12
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$1.59	$3.96
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$2.56	$3
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$1.06	$1.53
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$0.68	$1.28
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$42.3	$33.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$8.19	$19
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$44.6	$17.7
💇 Haircut, simple	$5.17	$4.28
👖 Brand Jeans	$24.9	$31.9
👟 Brand Sneakers	$61	$63.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$106	$126
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$4674	$3685

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kinshasa

Distance	City	Cost of living
8 km or 5 mi	Brazzaville	$580
61 km or 38 mi	Kinkala	$520
114 km or 71 mi	Mbanza-Ngungu	$812
197 km or 122 mi	Madingou	$519
225 km or 140 mi	Kayes	$523
260 km or 162 mi	Gamboma	$522
261 km or 162 mi	Matadi	$844
302 km or 188 mi	Boma	$821
371 km or 230 mi	Cabinda	$676
386 km or 240 mi	Pointe-Noire	$569
396 km or 246 mi	Kikwit	$876
421 km or 262 mi	N'zeto	$788
460 km or 286 mi	Ambriz	$863
551 km or 343 mi	Luanda	$1012
590 km or 366 mi	Mbandaka	$850
650 km or 404 mi	Tshikapa	$934
809 km or 503 mi	Kananga	$976
829 km or 515 mi	Port-Gentil	$625
836 km or 520 mi	Libreville	$668
914 km or 568 mi	Lobito	$645
924 km or 574 mi	Bata	$1121
937 km or 582 mi	Benguela	$671
938 km or 583 mi	Mbuji-Mayi	$1011
939 km or 584 mi	Huambo	$577
948 km or 589 mi	Mwene-Ditu	$843
958 km or 595 mi	Berberati	$482
971 km or 603 mi	Luena	$634
977 km or 607 mi	Gemena	$767
995 km or 618 mi	Gandajika	$828
1004 km or 624 mi	Yaounde	$747
1033 km or 642 mi	Bangui	$513
1075 km or 668 mi	Bumba	$806
1085 km or 674 mi	Sao Tome	$900
1090 km or 677 mi	Trindade	$900
1121 km or 697 mi	Douala	$1265
1149 km or 714 mi	Limbe	$655
1156 km or 718 mi	Malabo	$741
1162 km or 722 mi	Buea	$601
1187 km or 737 mi	Kindu	$746
1191 km or 740 mi	Kumba	$764

Cities near Sao Tome

Distance	City	Cost of living
8.3 km or 5.1 mi	Trindade	$900
256 km or 159 mi	Port-Gentil	$625
303 km or 188 mi	Libreville	$668
375 km or 233 mi	Bata	$1121
443 km or 275 mi	Malabo	$741
492 km or 306 mi	Port Harcourt	$679
494 km or 307 mi	Limbe	$655
509 km or 316 mi	Buea	$601
529 km or 328 mi	Douala	$1265
537 km or 333 mi	Aba	$621
543 km or 337 mi	Calabar	$384
565 km or 351 mi	Kumba	$764
574 km or 356 mi	Owerri	$1611
584 km or 363 mi	Umuahia	$883
587 km or 365 mi	Warri	$881
649 km or 403 mi	Onitsha	$972
653 km or 406 mi	Awka	$805
660 km or 410 mi	Yaounde	$747
677 km or 421 mi	Benin	$558
684 km or 425 mi	Enugu	$462
702 km or 436 mi	Bafoussam	$555
730 km or 454 mi	Bamenda	$553
772 km or 480 mi	Owo	$651
774 km or 481 mi	Lagos	$1113
788 km or 490 mi	Akure	$634
806 km or 501 mi	Pointe-Noire	$569
822 km or 511 mi	Porto-Novo	$670
824 km or 512 mi	Cotonou	$709
827 km or 514 mi	Ado Ekiti	$666
829 km or 515 mi	Ife	$779
845 km or 525 mi	Ibadan	$776
846 km or 526 mi	Abeokuta	$1030
861 km or 535 mi	Osogbo	$695
884 km or 549 mi	Kayes	$523
889 km or 552 mi	Lome	$755
890 km or 553 mi	Oyo	$677
892 km or 555 mi	Cabinda	$676
907 km or 564 mi	Madingou	$519
924 km or 574 mi	Gamboma	$522
926 km or 575 mi	Abomey	$590