Lusaka vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lusaka Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$685
$745
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1880
$2030
🏠 One person rent
$250
$269
🏘️ Family rent
$606
$619
🍽️ Food expenses
$245
$254
🚐 Transport expenses
$130
$161
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$332
$394
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
36
67
😀 Quality of life
48
57
🏙️ Population
2.47M
5.55M

The cost of living in Lusaka is 8% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 7016th and 6689th ($685 vs $745) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 9th and 1st in Zambia and Kenya, respectively. Check Zambia vs Kenya comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Lusaka compared to 0.5 months in Nairobi. Lusaka ranked 1st best city to live in Zambia vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 6308th and 5632nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Lusaka vs Nairobi infographic

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Prices in Lusaka vs Nairobi

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

Lusaka Nairobi
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$6.96
$3.67
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$26.8
$26.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$3.84
$5.77
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.02
$2.2
☕ Cappuccino
$2.22
$2.41
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.9
$0.65
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$191
$366
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$103
$164
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$881
$1021
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$330
$420
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$66.2
$25.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$38.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.7
$39.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
21.22%
14.58%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1988
$1536
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4865
$1125
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.56
$0.78
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$37.2
$34.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12.1
$13
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.29
$1.62
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.3
$0.91
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.76
$0.48
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.33
$1.28
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.97
$1.84
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.99
$12.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.87
$6.43
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.21
$5.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$2.83
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.69
$1.05
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.66
$1.81
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$0.98
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$1.08
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.48
$1.16
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.4
$0.47
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.07
$1.45
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.63
$12.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.1
$2.1
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.65
$2.93
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.3
$3.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.57
$3.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.27
$0.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.15
$1.2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.1
$40.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$3.5
$6.09
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$12.9
$23.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.8
$5.57
👖 Brand Jeans
$18.6
$19.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$89.8
$58.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$176
$168
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5845
$8325

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Lusaka

Distance City Cost of living
166 km or 103 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$894
209 km or 130 mi Choma
$725
275 km or 171 mi Ndola
$1139
289 km or 179 mi Kitwe
$1116
297 km or 184 mi Chinhoyi
$830
318 km or 198 mi Mufulira
$1090
322 km or 200 mi Chingola
$1028
370 km or 230 mi Kadoma
$729
373 km or 232 mi Livingstone
$670
399 km or 248 mi Harare
$1012
411 km or 255 mi Chitungwiza
$890
426 km or 265 mi Lubumbashi
$1007
429 km or 267 mi Kwekwe
$731
464 km or 288 mi Marondera
$810
475 km or 295 mi Mansa
$1017
478 km or 297 mi Gweru
$761
521 km or 324 mi Likasi
$939
529 km or 329 mi Bulawayo
$756
574 km or 356 mi Tete
$834
584 km or 363 mi Masvingo
$871
605 km or 376 mi Kolwezi
$947
611 km or 380 mi Mutare
$662
613 km or 381 mi Lilongwe
$582
645 km or 401 mi Francistown
$585
658 km or 409 mi Kasama
$1079
686 km or 426 mi Chimoio
$953
688 km or 428 mi Ntcheu
$515
694 km or 431 mi Mzimba
$574
721 km or 448 mi Blantyre
$591
729 km or 453 mi Monkey Bay
$526
756 km or 470 mi Zomba
$498
757 km or 471 mi Mangochi
$516
762 km or 474 mi Mzuzu
$534
775 km or 482 mi Mulanje
$500
792 km or 492 mi Serowe
$600
802 km or 499 mi Palapye
$554
852 km or 529 mi Beira
$1000
869 km or 540 mi Mahalapye
$663
917 km or 570 mi Mbeya
$433
956 km or 594 mi Quelimane
$670

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$571
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$482
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$493
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$535
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$543
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$548
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$460
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$518
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$483
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$581
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$583
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$502
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$560
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$511
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$466
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$601
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$643
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$707
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$559
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$564
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$675
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$736
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$639
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$722
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$579
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$509
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$622
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$723
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$509
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$568
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$545
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$784
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$598
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$509
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$441
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$510
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$509
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$576
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$579
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$768