Oil rig in Angola

Angola's recent boom has been fuelled by its oil reserves

Luanda is the most expensive city in the world for foreign workers, according to a survey.

Angola's capital city came in first in terms of costs of living, human resources firm ECA International said.

A meal in Luanda can cost over $100 and a "decent" apartment can cost as much as $15,000 a month, despite the fact that most Angolans live in poverty.

The next four most expensive cities after Luanda are in Japan, led by Tokyo, the firm said.

Much poverty

Oil-rich Angola is recovering from a 27-year civil war that destroyed most of its infrastructure, which means the vast majority of goods need to be imported.

MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES 1. Luanda 2. Tokyo 3. Nagoya 4. Yokohama 5. Kobe

Foreign investment due to oil has brought many foreign workers to the country.

Yet over 60% of the Angolan population live on less than $2 a day.

Luanda was also the most expensive city in the ECA survey last year.

Oslo, last year's second priciest, has dropped to seventh this year.

Copenhagen is the most expensive city in Europe, and three Swiss cities were in the top 10, ECA said in its biannual survey.

The firm said Maseru, the capital of the African state of Lesotho, was the cheapest place for expatriate workers.

The company compares the price of goods and services in 370 places worldwide.