Lusaka vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lusaka Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$686
$797
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1784
$1994
🏠 One person rent
$237
$296
🏘️ Family rent
$381
$498
🍽️ Food expenses
$263
$280
🚐 Transport expenses
$127
$160
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$113
$208
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
35
67
😀 Quality of life
50
58
🏙️ Population
2.47M
5.55M

The cost of living in Lusaka is 14% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 7322nd and 6763rd ($686 vs $797) 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 0.2 months in Lusaka compared to 0.3 months in Nairobi. Lusaka ranked 1st best city to live in Zambia vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 6732nd and 6139th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$7.41
$5.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$23.1
$39.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$3.86
$6.62
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.02
$2.35
☕ Cappuccino
$2.05
$2.48
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.61
$0.67
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$236
$395
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$129
$192
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$431
$697
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$236
$351
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$35.7
$25.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$55.1
$39.4
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$51
$38
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
25.19%
15.08%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1955
$1677
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4123
$943
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.98
$0.77
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$38.6
$30.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12
$14.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.22
$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.38
$0.84
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.77
$0.56
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.81
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.55
$1.65
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.18
$10.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.53
$6.47
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.26
$5.79
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$3.12
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$1.02
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.95
$1.73
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$0.95
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.13
$1.03
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$0.93
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.4
$0.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.42
$1.5
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.32
$11.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.12
$2.14
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.16
$3.32
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.74
$2.61
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.41
$3.7
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.69
$1.22
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.56
$1.13
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$43
$45.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.16
$7.7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.1
$16.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.47
$4.77
👖 Brand Jeans
$18.9
$19.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$73.8
$59.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$178
$221
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13300
$9106

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Cities near Lusaka

Distance City Cost of living
166 km or 103 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$815
209 km or 130 mi Choma
$750
275 km or 171 mi Ndola
$613
289 km or 179 mi Kitwe
$1189
297 km or 184 mi Chinhoyi
$639
318 km or 198 mi Mufulira
$1473
322 km or 200 mi Chingola
$1229
370 km or 230 mi Kadoma
$754
373 km or 232 mi Livingstone
$718
399 km or 248 mi Harare
$1024
411 km or 255 mi Chitungwiza
$770
426 km or 265 mi Lubumbashi
$1133
429 km or 267 mi Kwekwe
$706
464 km or 288 mi Marondera
$768
475 km or 295 mi Mansa
$1030
478 km or 297 mi Gweru
$577
521 km or 324 mi Likasi
$1039
529 km or 329 mi Bulawayo
$630
574 km or 356 mi Tete
$828
584 km or 363 mi Masvingo
$861
605 km or 376 mi Kolwezi
$1039
611 km or 380 mi Mutare
$764
613 km or 381 mi Lilongwe
$591
645 km or 401 mi Francistown
$633
658 km or 409 mi Kasama
$1002
686 km or 426 mi Chimoio
$924
688 km or 428 mi Ntcheu
$495
694 km or 431 mi Mzimba
$530
721 km or 448 mi Blantyre
$505
729 km or 453 mi Monkey Bay
$521
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
$583
802 km or 499 mi Palapye
$551
852 km or 529 mi Beira
$1000
869 km or 540 mi Mahalapye
$628
917 km or 570 mi Mbeya
$469
956 km or 594 mi Quelimane
$692

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$455
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$419
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$508
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$542
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$602
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$523
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$520
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$533
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$505
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$624
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$651
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$553
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$604
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$593
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$623
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$544
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$670
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$722
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$563
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$506
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$551
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$588
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$408
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$763
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$627
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$691
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$620
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$811
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$693
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$572
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$544
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$825
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$518
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$692
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$409
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$694
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$691
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$617
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$507
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$810