In 2007 and 2008 (may be also in 2009), LAD was ranked the most expensive city of the world for ex-pats. From my experience during those years there, the difference to other expensive cities is that you can't expect quality for the fortune you spend there.
The appartments are still ****-holes, you still need (expensive) water bottles to brush your teeth, meat is like horse meet but not like beef et cetera. The above mentioned burger at the only new (but poorly equipped) shopping mall is one of these examples - ripping you off but not serving quality at all. Same at shoprite at Belas shopping. Handfull of tomatoes for 8 Euros but worse than the dutch tomatoes
power-cuts, phone and cell network (if any) breaking down... endless...
Climate is ****, too. Too high humidity, malaria and mossies all year round. Full selection of tropical diseases availble
Nothing to see or do araound LAD, even LAD is poor. You won't have fun not speaking Portuguese.
One of our freelancers compared it to Lagos. (I haven't been to LOS, so that's just word of mouth).
I can only underline the advice: if you don't have to go there STAY AWAY
