London woman swaps Pimlico for Congo, pays £132 rent, plans to buy mountain

A woman who left the UK to move to Congo now spends just £132 per month on rent and says she can even buy a mountain for £1,500. Fidelia Okanze, 32, was born in Congo but fled the civil war with her family when she was four, settling in the UK. She moved back in November 2025 with her husband, 36, so he could train as a surgeon there.

Swapping her £1,000 monthly rent for a one-bed flat in London, she now lives in a two-bed flat in the capital Brazzaville for £132. Each meal costs her just £1.50. Moving to reconnect with her family and be close to her husband, she enjoys the food and weather but admits she misses many things about London, including friends and staples like Lurpak and muesli. Unable to afford property in the UK, she plans to buy land in Congo.

A Huge Relief

Fidelia, a content creator originally from Pimlico, London, said: "Since being in Congo we plan to buy land as it’s quite easy to buy land. You can easily buy acres and acres for like £300. In 2021 I had the opportunity to buy a mountain for £1,500. In Congo it’s very soil rich so you can find anything – gold, diamonds, metals. You could literally come here, buy a mountain, dig and sell whatever you find and get whatever investments. In Congo to rent our two-bed flat in the middle of the city is £132. It’s a huge relief. It gives you this breather to actually build other things and not constantly be chasing the next pay check in order to survive."

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Weather and Family Ties

Fidelia says she loves living in the UK, but weather tipped the scales for her move. "I’ve been in the UK most of my life but I still get so cold, and I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life on vitamin D tablets – I just refuse," she said. "I would love to live in the UK and go on holidays multiple times a year but I can’t afford it." She had returned to Congo on family holidays in 2011 and 2013, exploring both city and rural areas. She met her husband, a Congolese general doctor specializing in surgery, in 2025 after being introduced by her cousin.

Land Ownership and Cultural Norms

Fidelia explains that land in Congo is owned by different families, not the government, and you can approach families with an offer to negotiate and sign a lease. For now, she plans to continue renting until after the second part of their traditional Congolese wedding ceremony, following their initial wedding in February. Setting up her TikTok channel to become a full-time content creator, she notes that in Congo, it is normal to network rather than apply for jobs online. "You have to be in the middle of it all in order for people to think of you when a new role comes up," she said. "It’s very much about being a socialite and socialising."

Cost of Living Comparison

As a cash-centric country, most places do not accept card payments, but food is cheap. "To make a meal the other day it cost me £1.50," she said. "That’s fresh veg, meat - including fresh fish and side as well - and we ate that for two days." Transport can be expensive. "The thing in London is the travel cap. If you’re tapping your oyster card it’s £12 for the day. There’s no cap here and so every time you take a mode of transport you’re having to pay. A bus is 20p for one way. A taxi might cost you £2 depending on the distance."

Reconnecting with Family

She has reconnected with her family since moving and appreciates the cultural closeness. "In Congo, the cultural norm is that your aunts and uncles are your parents too," Fidelia said. "There is no such thing as an auntie or an uncle, it doesn’t exist. My mum’s sisters look at me as their child. That means their children are my siblings instead of my cousins. Because of that mindset there is so much more closeness and you feel like you have lots of mums and siblings. It’s a very nice dynamic."

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Missing London

Despite loving life in Congo, Fidelia misses her old life. "In Brazzaville there is not much to do. In London, there is always something to do," she said. "I’m a big fan of desserts and one thing I really miss is I used to try different bakeries and dessert shops but here you can’t do that because it’s not really a thing. With my friends we still have catch ups over the phone and on video calls. Knowing they’re in their bubbles with their husbands and children raising their families and doing their thing, climbing the career ladder and all that I think at the point I decided to move to Congo because everyone is busy in their lives anyway. I felt the need to focus on building my life and thought, ‘I won’t be able to do it here’. One of the main reasons it was more convenient to move here is so I can save. When I’m in London, I can’t save to save my life. I wasn’t earning enough and I was spending a lot too. Now I’m here I want to build something and save but I want to move back at some point and have a base in both countries."