Johannesburg vs Lusaka - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg Lusaka
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1082
$655
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2560
$1696
🏠 One person rent
$485
$218
🏘️ Family rent
$833
$350
🍽️ Food expenses
$306
$251
🚐 Transport expenses
$206
$127
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1614
$98
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
74
36
😀 Quality of life
62
50
🏙️ Population
4.43M
2.47M

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 65% more expensive than in Lusaka. Cities ranked 5031st and 7398th ($1082 vs $655) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 8th in South Africa and Zambia, respectively. Check South Africa vs Zambia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.5 months in Johannesburg compared to 0.1 months in Lusaka. Johannesburg ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs Lusaka ranked 1st in Zambia, while ranked 5648th and 6625th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Johannesburg vs Lusaka infographic

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Prices in Johannesburg vs Lusaka

Prices for goods and services in Johannesburg and Lusaka are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Johannesburg Lusaka
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.1
$7.48
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$38.1
$25.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.03
$3.82
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.51
$0.98
☕ Cappuccino
$2.18
$2.03
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.08
$0.62
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$462
$204
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$342
$112
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$824
$374
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$632
$206
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$78.5
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$122
$64.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40.5
$45.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.57%
25.21%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1106
$2016
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$741
$4812
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.21
$0.99
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$77.1
$38.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.7
$11.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.32
$1.22
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.28
$1.33
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.01
$0.77
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.56
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.6
$1.76
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.5
$7.48
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.34
$3.95
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.4
$4.57
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$2.69
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$1.61
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$2.68
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$1.1
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$1.94
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.6
$1.49
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.66
$0.35
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.53
$1.24
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.13
$6.82
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.46
$0.97
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.19
$3.68
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.86
$5.88
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.11
$2.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.98
$1.46
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.49
$1.36
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.6
$50.3
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.33
$4.17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$29.7
$14.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.46
$5.62
👖 Brand Jeans
$52.2
$18.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.1
$73.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$227
$177
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5503
$11593

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Sandton
$984
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$890
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$984
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$826
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$740
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$892
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$975
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$706
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$799
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$875
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$940
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$731
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$838
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$830
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$762
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$808
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$762
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$833
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$637
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$668
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$570
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$637
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$599
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$827
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$607
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$469
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$650
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$577
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$698
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$598
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$514
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$861
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$705
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$908
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$536
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$915
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$892
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$587
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$915

Cities near Lusaka

Distance City Cost of living
166 km or 103 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$748
209 km or 130 mi Choma
$687
275 km or 171 mi Ndola
$577
289 km or 179 mi Kitwe
$1062
297 km or 184 mi Chinhoyi
$650
318 km or 198 mi Mufulira
$1278
322 km or 200 mi Chingola
$1069
370 km or 230 mi Kadoma
$761
373 km or 232 mi Livingstone
$653
399 km or 248 mi Harare
$1021
411 km or 255 mi Chitungwiza
$751
426 km or 265 mi Lubumbashi
$1124
429 km or 267 mi Kwekwe
$716
464 km or 288 mi Marondera
$779
475 km or 295 mi Mansa
$912
478 km or 297 mi Gweru
$587
521 km or 324 mi Likasi
$1032
529 km or 329 mi Bulawayo
$658
574 km or 356 mi Tete
$820
584 km or 363 mi Masvingo
$873
605 km or 376 mi Kolwezi
$1045
611 km or 380 mi Mutare
$755
613 km or 381 mi Lilongwe
$592
645 km or 401 mi Francistown
$587
658 km or 409 mi Kasama
$888
686 km or 426 mi Chimoio
$916
688 km or 428 mi Ntcheu
$493
694 km or 431 mi Mzimba
$565
721 km or 448 mi Blantyre
$506
729 km or 453 mi Monkey Bay
$519
756 km or 470 mi Zomba
$458
757 km or 471 mi Mangochi
$496
762 km or 474 mi Mzuzu
$527
775 km or 482 mi Mulanje
$461
792 km or 492 mi Serowe
$536
802 km or 499 mi Palapye
$514
852 km or 529 mi Beira
$996
869 km or 540 mi Mahalapye
$577
917 km or 570 mi Mbeya
$495
956 km or 594 mi Quelimane
$692