Published on 19 October 2026
The price of an apartment in Kinshasa changes enormously from one district to the next. An apartment in Masina and an apartment in La Gombe have almost nothing in common: not the price per m², not the services, not the buyers. If you are looking at apartments for sale in Kinshasa to prepare a purchase in 2026, you need to look at three things: the district, the condition of the property (new or resale) and everything that comes on top of the listed price. Here are the figures published this year, what they mean, and how to read them when you buy a new build.
There is no official property price index in Kinshasa. The figures you see come from specialist websites and classified ads, which almost always show an asking price, often "negotiable", not the price actually paid. They give you a rough idea.
According to Mbote (January 2026), the median price of an apartment in Kinshasa is around 90,000 $, and the average price around 120,000 $. The gap between the two figures shows one simple thing: a small number of very expensive properties, mostly in La Gombe, pull the average up. Most apartments sold are clearly cheaper than the average.
Still according to Mbote, the total budget for a standard apartment ranges from 77,000 $ to 340,000 $, plus 10% to 13% in buying costs. Mbote does not name the source of its figures. Treat them as reference points, not as guaranteed prices
So for a buyer, the real question is not the city's average price. It is the price of one specific apartment, in one specific district.
The price per m² is the best tool for comparing two properties of different sizes. According to Mbote (January 2026), the median price per m² in Kinshasa is about 1,300 $, and the average about 1,750 $. But here again, the district changes everything.
| District or area | Indicative price per m² | Source |
|---|---|---|
| La Gombe | over 5,500 $ | Mbote, January 2026 |
| La Gombe, Ngaliema (Binza Ozone, Pigeon), Mont Fleury, Ma Campagne | about 5,000 to 6,000 $ | theafricanvestor, September 2026 |
| City centre | about 5,000 $ | Numbeo, August 2026 |
| La Gombe, listings with a stated size | about 3,200 to 4,300 $ for most, up to 6,250 $ | expat.com, zwandako, Alain Realty, 2024 to 2026 |
| Outside the city centre | about 1,250 $ | Numbeo, August 2026 |
| Matete, Masina, Ndjili, Kimbanseke | about 700 $ | Mbote, January 2026 |
| City average | about 1,750 $ (median 1,300 $) | Mbote, January 2026 |
La Gombe is still the most expensive part of the city. It is the administrative and business centre, home to embassies, company head offices and many expats. Mbote, theafricanvestor and Numbeo give similar figures: around 5,000 to 6,000 $ per m², sometimes more. Real listings show a more nuanced picture. A 150 m² three bedroom apartment there was offered at 490,000 $ in 2026 on expat.com, about 3,270 $ per m², and a 140 m² two bedroom apartment with a river view, near the Pullman hotel, at 600,000 $ on Alain Realty, about 4,290 $ per m². Theafricanvestor also estimates that La Gombe prices rose by 15 to 20% a year in recent years. No other public source confirms this figure: treat it as an estimate, and it does not guarantee what comes next.
Parts of Ngaliema, especially Binza Ozone and Pigeon, come close to La Gombe prices according to theafricanvestor. Listings point the same way: a new three bedroom apartment in GB was offered at 600,000 $ on zwandako around August 2026. The district is large, and prices vary a lot depending on the street, the view and the access.
Limete and Bandalungwa are named among the districts where expats live by the openshores guide (April 2026). Sale listings with a stated size are very rare there, and no reliable price per m² is published for these two districts in 2026. A few reference points still exist. In Limete Funa, a three room apartment was listed at 250,000 $ on imcongo in October 2026. For rents, a three bedroom apartment in Limete Résidentiel was let for around 2,000 $ a month in five imcongo listings, and a two bedroom in Limete Funa for around 400 $ on zwandako. In Bandalungwa, the market is mostly plots and houses, with an average price outside the centre of about 1,250 $ per m² according to Numbeo.
For a fuller picture of the most expensive district, also readLa Gombe real estate: the complete neighbourhood guide.
According to Mbote (January 2026), a new apartment generally costs 15% to 30% more than a resale apartment in the same area. There are several concrete reasons for this gap.
Construction costs. Cement, steel, glazing, lifts and electrical equipment are largely imported. Building material prices fell in Matadi in 2025 according to AllAfrica (October 2025), but in Kinshasa a 50 kg bag of cement still cost 26,000 Congolese francs (about 11 $) in July 2026 according to ACP. Materials remain a major part of the budget for any building.
Land. In La Gombe, free plots are rare. The cost of land therefore weighs heavily on the final price of each apartment.
Shared facilities. An older building often has no generator for the whole building, no water reserve and no secure parking. In a new residence, these facilities are planned from the start and are part of the price.
The condition of the property. With a resale apartment, you often have to redo the wiring, the plumbing, the kitchen or the bathrooms. That cost does not appear in the listed price, but it comes quickly after the purchase.
In other words, comparing a new build price and a resale price per m², without looking at what is behind them, gives a false picture. The 15% to 30% gap often shrinks once you add the works and the facilities that the older property is missing.
Before comparing two offers, always ask for a written list of what the price includes. Here is what you usually find in a good quality new residence in Kinshasa, using the example of Zarina Résidence, a Safricode project in La Gombe.
| Item | Why it matters | Example: Zarina Résidence |
|---|---|---|
| Backup power | Power cuts are frequent in Kinshasa | 24/7 backup power for the whole complex |
| Water reserve | Secures daily water supply | Water reserve planned |
| Parking | Vehicle security | Parking planned for the complex's 300 or so apartments |
| Shared spaces | Comfort and resale value | Adult and children's pools, gym, sauna, jogging track, play area, club house, party hall, crèche, rooftop terrace |
Safricode does not publish the sizes, prices or list of finishes of its apartments online. To find out which units are still available at Zarina Résidence or in the residences on sale today, such as Zenith Residence or L'Adresse in La Gombe, ask the sales team for the price list on WhatsApp at +243 991 977 779 or by email at info@safricode.com. You can see the project page here: Zarina Résidence.
Two points deserve a precise question to the developer. First, the monthly service charges: who pays for generator fuel, pool maintenance and security, and how much this costs per month. No service charge schedule is published for Kinshasa buildings, so ask for the amount in writing. Second, the private fittings: air conditioning, fitted kitchen, wardrobes, water heater. Some developers include them, others do not.
The price of the apartment is not the total cost. According to Mbote (January 2026), you should plan for 10% to 13% in extra costs. The World Bank (Doing Business 2020) reached a similar figure for Kinshasa: 10.1% of the property value, including about 5% in lawyer's fees for drafting the sale deed. These costs usually cover:
The official time for a transfer is 15 days, but in practice delays and real costs are often higher. The exact amounts depend on the price of the property, the district and the type of title. Before you sign, have the calculation checked by a notary or a lawyer in Kinshasa.
On a 300,000 $ apartment, 10% to 13% already means 30,000 to 39,000 $. That is not a detail: build it into your budget from the start.
The examples below are simple calculations based on published prices per m². They are not Safricode prices. The sizes chosen are common in new residences in Kinshasa: between 90 and 150 m² for a two bedroom apartment, and between 115 and 180 m² for a three bedroom, based on La Gombe listings and the Bois Nobles (Utexafrica) brochure. We use two prices per m²: 3,750 $, the middle of La Gombe listings with a stated size, and 5,500 $, the reference figure given by Mbote.
Take a 120 m² two bedroom apartment. At 3,750 $ per m², that comes to about 450,000 $, or 495,000 to 508,500 $ with 10% to 13% in costs. At 5,500 $ per m², it comes to about 660,000 $, or roughly 726,000 to 746,000 $ with costs.
For a 180 m² three bedroom apartment, you get about 675,000 $ at 3,750 $ per m², or 742,500 to 763,000 $ with costs. At 5,500 $ per m², you get about 990,000 $, or 1,089,000 to 1,119,000 $ with costs. For comparison, a listing published on Mediacongo in May 2026 offered a three bedroom apartment in La Gombe, in the Haut Commandement area, at 850,000 $. Another listing, in July 2026, presented recently built 2 to 4 bedroom apartments of 197 to 277 m² with river views, available in December 2026.
Safricode does not publish prices online. According to an interview its marketing director gave The Business Year (July 2025), its entry level homes start at 93,000 $. For the price of 2 and 3 bedroom units in a specific residence, ask the sales team for the price list on WhatsApp at +243 991 977 779 or at info@safricode.com. If you are buying to rent out, also run your numbers with our guide Buy to let in Kinshasa. Published gross rental yields are around 6% to 8.5% in the centre and 8% to 12% in mid market districts, according to theafricanvestor (September 2026) and Numbeo (August 2026). Knight Frank uses 7% for prime residential property in 2026.
Prices per m² published online point you in a direction. To decide, you need a real price list, unit by unit. Here is how to get one and how to read it.
If you are new to this, our Real estate investment guide 2026 will help you set solid foundations. You can also see our residences on sale on the Safricode home page.
Safricode has completed 130 projects, and 30 projects are under construction. This experience lets us give precise prices, with the list of what is included, rather than averages.
According to Mbote (January 2026), the average price of an apartment in Kinshasa is about 120,000 $, and the median price about 90,000 $. These figures mix all districts and all property types. For new builds in La Gombe, prices are much higher.
According to Mbote (January 2026), a m² costs over 5,500 $ in La Gombe. Theafricanvestor (September 2026) gives 5,000 to 6,000 $ and Numbeo about 5,000 $ for the city centre. In listings with a stated size, most properties sit between 3,200 and 4,300 $ per m². The exact price depends on the building, the floor, the view and the services.
According to Mbote, new builds generally cost 15% to 30% more than resale properties in the same area. The gap comes from the cost of land, materials and shared facilities such as backup power, the water reserve and lifts. With older properties, you often need to budget for works that reduce this gap.
According to Mbote, plan for 10% to 13% in costs on top of the price, and the World Bank reached 10.1% for Kinshasa. The main item is the transfer duty of 3% of the appraised value, plus the notarised deed, the new registration certificate and often a lawyer's fees. Always have the amount confirmed by a notary or a lawyer before you sign.
Averages give you an idea, but only a unit by unit price lets you decide. Our team will send you the price list for our residences, with sizes, floors, the list of what is included and the payment terms. You can also visit us at our offices in Immeuble Le Prestige, avenue Tabu Ley Rochereau, in La Gombe.
Request the Safricode price list: +243 991 977 779 · info@safricode.com · Contact
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