Johannesburg vs Lusaka - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg Lusaka
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1204
$777
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2788
$2003
🏠 One person rent
$547
$272
🏘️ Family rent
$919
$437
🍽️ Food expenses
$351
$299
🚐 Transport expenses
$210
$144
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$420
$130
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
73
35
😀 Quality of life
60
51
🏙️ Population
4.8M
2.47M

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 55% more expensive than in Lusaka. Cities ranked 4745th and 6881st ($1204 vs $777) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 9th in South Africa and Zambia, respectively. Check South Africa vs Zambia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.3 months in Johannesburg compared to 0.2 months in Lusaka. Johannesburg ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs Lusaka ranked 1st in Zambia, while ranked 5850th and 6622nd among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$12.2
$8.56
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$46
$26.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.16
$4.48
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.44
$1.18
☕ Cappuccino
$2.41
$2.35
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.2
$0.7
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$473
$273
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$385
$148
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$862
$496
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$679
$271
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$106
$41.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$164
$63.4
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$38.8
$58.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
10.88%
24.9%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1060
$1971
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$777
$4422
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.85
$1.14
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$92.2
$44.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$8.38
$13.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.42
$1.39
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.36
$1.58
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.24
$0.88
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.81
$1.82
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.48
$1.78
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.99
$8.25
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.77
$5.2
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.11
$6.06
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.12
$3.52
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$2.13
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.93
$3.36
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.07
$1.44
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$2.44
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.75
$1.74
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.86
$0.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.58
$1.57
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.1
$8.33
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.89
$1.29
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.4
$3.4
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.66
$6.91
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.33
$3.8
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.25
$1.87
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.36
$1.7
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$37.8
$49.3
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.59
$4.77
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$31
$19.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$7.27
$7.23
👖 Brand Jeans
$57.1
$21.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$107
$62.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$244
$176
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5103
$15258

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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
$1104
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$912
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$1031
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$851
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$784
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$997
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$1015
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$742
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$867
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$950
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$994
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$789
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$902
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$875
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$860
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$872
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$811
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$903
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$691
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$723
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$589
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$691
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$607
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$882
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$663
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$558
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$494
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$660
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$615
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$742
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$611
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$549
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$904
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$725
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$912
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$590
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$1014
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$938
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$632
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$965

Cities near Lusaka

Distance City Cost of living
166 km or 103 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$925
209 km or 130 mi Choma
$849
275 km or 171 mi Ndola
$692
289 km or 179 mi Kitwe
$1304
297 km or 184 mi Chinhoyi
$629
318 km or 198 mi Mufulira
$1602
322 km or 200 mi Chingola
$1378
370 km or 230 mi Kadoma
$727
373 km or 232 mi Livingstone
$813
399 km or 248 mi Harare
$1015
411 km or 255 mi Chitungwiza
$780
426 km or 265 mi Lubumbashi
$1125
429 km or 267 mi Kwekwe
$677
464 km or 288 mi Marondera
$755
475 km or 295 mi Mansa
$1166
478 km or 297 mi Gweru
$565
521 km or 324 mi Likasi
$1029
529 km or 329 mi Bulawayo
$632
574 km or 356 mi Tete
$792
584 km or 363 mi Masvingo
$840
605 km or 376 mi Kolwezi
$1044
611 km or 380 mi Mutare
$754
613 km or 381 mi Lilongwe
$587
645 km or 401 mi Francistown
$632
658 km or 409 mi Kasama
$1132
686 km or 426 mi Chimoio
$875
688 km or 428 mi Ntcheu
$489
694 km or 431 mi Mzimba
$559
721 km or 448 mi Blantyre
$495
729 km or 453 mi Monkey Bay
$516
756 km or 470 mi Zomba
$452
757 km or 471 mi Mangochi
$494
762 km or 474 mi Mzuzu
$522
775 km or 482 mi Mulanje
$456
792 km or 492 mi Serowe
$590
802 km or 499 mi Palapye
$549
852 km or 529 mi Beira
$952
869 km or 540 mi Mahalapye
$615
917 km or 570 mi Mbeya
$463
956 km or 594 mi Quelimane
$691