Abidjan - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Reasonably priced. Nearly everyone at post has some kind of house help at least part time. Live-in and live-out nannies are affordable. Many families also employ drivers. - Mar 2021
Very inexpensive. We pay US$250 a month for a full time driver and about the same for a half time cleaner who does AMAZING. we also give them benefits like cash for transport, food, school fees, uniforms, etc. and yearly bonus. - May 2020
Household help was shockingly expensive for the quality. 99% of expatriates employed a cleaner, and many had drivers and gardeners. Those who had experience working in the homes of other expatriates were better than those who did not (of course), but most of these domestics were often already gainfully employed, and/or would wanted a very high wage. Expect to pay around US$300 a month for a full time maid who will also cook. Expect to pay more if English language is required. A lot of US Mission personnel hired Ghanians due to the language ability, but this can pose complicated visa issues. Employers will be expected to pay into the Ivorian national retirement system (CNPS). Expect household help to be frequently sick, and in many cases, seem to not be completely literate. It is not uncommon for Ivorians to not want to do manual labor jobs if they are from the Abidjan region; there are many third country nationals who fill these types of positions. It reminded me of the GCC, except Cote d'Ivoire is extremely poor. My hypothesis is that this mentality is leftover from the days when Cote d'Ivoire was "wealthy" and a regional leader. Of course, these days are long gone, but the locals seem to be unaware that their country is very much in the "developing" phase. - Feb 2020
Household help and gardeners are widely available. The cost is higher than in most African capitals as the cost of living is much higher here. It is quite a shock to some people just how much the staff asks for as a salary when neighboring countries are half of that. Plan on $200+ a month for a full time gardener and $300+ a month for inside staff. - Mar 2017
It's inexpensive, but also inconsistent. A lot of people have had sub-optimal experiences. Some pay more to get more seasoned help. - Aug 2015
I'm paying $16-20 a week (depending on the exchange rate) for someone to come to my 4-bedroom house -- clean everything, and do the laundry. I have been told by many people I'm paying too much. They are usually paying a dollar or two less. My housekeeper is grumpy because I won't let him cook and shop for me. - Jun 2009
Domestic help is inexpensive and can be very good here. Nearly everyone has a housekeeper, a gardener, or someone who cleans their pool. Prices are around US$15/day for help. - Jan 2009
