Djibouti
Profiled in Djibouti City · East Africa
A small, strategically placed port state at the mouth of the Red Sea, with salt lakes below sea level, whale sharks offshore and foreign military bases as a core industry.
Cost of living
What a month costs
Expensive for the region. The franc is pegged to the US dollar under a currency board, and nearly everything is imported through the port.
The scores
How it rates for a moving family
See and do
Top 10 in Djibouti City
- Lac AssalHypersaline crater lake ringed by salt pans and black lava.
- Lac AbbéOtherworldly limestone chimneys venting steam.
- Gulf of TadjouraWhale shark aggregations between October and February.
- Djibouti Central MarketLe Marché Central in the European quarter.
- Hamoudi MosqueLandmark mosque in the old town.
- Day Forest National ParkRelict juniper forest in the Goda mountains.
- Ardoukoba VolcanoYoung volcano formed in a 1978 eruption.
- Port de DjiboutiThe transhipment hub handling most of Ethiopia's trade.
Where to go
Weekend escapes
- Lac AssalAfrica's lowest point, a salt lake one hundred and fifty-five metres below sea level.
- Lac AbbéLimestone chimneys and flamingos on the Ethiopian border.
- Moucha IslandReef island and beaches in the Gulf of Tadjoura.
- TadjouraOne of the oldest towns on the East African coast.
- Goda MountainsForested highlands around Day Forest National Park.
Residency
Residence follows work permits, largely tied to the port, logistics and foreign military presence. Free zone entities receive extended tax exemptions, and there is no investor citizenship route.
Tax
Personal rates reach 30% and the corporate rate is 25%, with 10% VAT. Free zone companies receive multi-year exemptions. The franc is pegged to the US dollar. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.
Curious what you would actually pay? See the Djibouti tax profile: income, corporate, VAT and exit rules →
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