No. 10 Cheapest City for Expensive Living: Nouakchott, Mauritania

Monthly rent, unfurnished 2-br luxury apartment: $529.91
Lunch for one at a nice restaurant: $31.79
One liter of gas, unleaded 95 octane: $1.26
Beer, local brand: N/A
Cup of coffee, including service: $3.18

Home to a wharf and a Chinese-built deepwater port, Mauritania's capital is a major center for imports, including wheat, cement, flour, sugar, and general equipment, according to the World Food Programme Logistics Division. Oil was discovered offshore, near Nouakchott, drawing large numbers of young workers from around Mauritania and neighboring countries in hopes of finding work in the petroleum sector. Many of the anticipated jobs never materialized, according to a report by the U.S. Commercial Service.