Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Abidjan vs Lusaka

Abidjan vs Lusaka

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 39% cheaper Abidjan +41 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Abidjan

Marou Bamba/Unsplash

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,254

Abidjan

$1,367

Lusaka

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Abidjan

Moderate

Lusaka

Air Quality

5/5

Abidjan

5/5

Lusaka

Healthcare

High

Abidjan

High

Lusaka

Population

4.4m

Abidjan

1.7m

Lusaka

Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire) and Lusaka (Zambia) are both in Africa, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Lusaka costs $1367/mo, saving 39% compared to Abidjan's $2254/mo — that's $10644 per year.

For families, Abidjan costs $2570.083715250984/mo compared to Lusaka's $806.9391088542649/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Abidjan's 61 Mbps (global #122) — considerably faster than Lusaka's 20 Mbps (#167).

Quality of Life

Both Abidjan and Lusaka share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Abidjan and Lusaka.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Abidjan is March (around 38 degrees, 1mm rain, score 340), while Lusaka peaks in April (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 402). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

AbidjanLusaka

Nomad$2,254/mo$1,367/mo

Expat$1,309/mo$530/mo

Local$734/mo$231/mo

Family$2,570/mo$807/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

AbidjanLusaka

City Speed

61 Mbps#122

20 Mbps#167

Country Speed0 Mbps22 Mbps

Environment & Health

AbidjanLusaka

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighHigh

ClimateModerateN/A

Humidity8289

Quality of Life

AbidjanLusaka

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareHighHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Abidjan

Lusaka

Jan

36°

2mm330

29°

3mm309

Feb

38°

2mm330

32°

0mm389

Mar

38°

1mm340

29°

1mm378

Apr

38°

2mm320

27°

0mm402

May

37°

3mm309

24°

0mm402

Jun

33°

7mm222

20°

0mm382

Jul

31°

2mm299

24°

0mm402

Aug

30°

2mm238

25°

0mm402

Sep

31°

2mm309

29°

0mm402

Oct

34°

6mm238

31°

0mm402

Nov

36°

2mm320

32°

1mm378

Dec

37°

1mm330

33°

0mm387

Who Should Choose Abidjan?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2570.083715250984/mo for families
Major city energy with 4.4m residents
Peak season in March — 38 degrees, score 340

Who Should Choose Lusaka?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1367
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $806.9391088542649/mo for families
Peak season in April — 27 degrees, score 402

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Lusaka is the stronger pick. At $1367/mo it beats Abidjan's $2254/mo by 39%, and the 20 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Abidjan Lusaka

ItemAbidjanLusakaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.21$3

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$32.13$18.37

43%

McMeal or equivalent combo$8.84$3.17

64%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.46$1.81

26%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$0.96$1.22

21%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.41$1.5

38%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.76$0.88

14%

Water (0.33L)$0.63$0.47

25%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.75$1.34

23%

White bread (500g)$0.56$0.95

41%

White rice (1kg)$1.1$2

45%

Eggs (12)$2.03$1.73

15%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.33$4.18

50%

Beef round (1kg)$6$5.3

12%

Local cheese (1kg)$12.32$9.11

26%

Apples (1kg)$2.68$2.48

Bananas (1kg)$0.88$1.49

41%

Oranges (1kg)$1.71$2.51

32%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.78$1.16

35%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.04$1.23

15%

Onions (1kg)$1.11$1.59

30%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.56$1.22

54%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$0.98

27%

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.02$4.9

19%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.87$0.99

12%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.19$1.26

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$1.16$2.66

56%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.44$1.24

65%

Monthly transport pass$40.16$30.62

24%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.8$3

73%

Taxi per 1km$1.61$0.62

61%

Taxi 1hr waiting$5.22$9.19

43%

Gasoline (1L)$1.09$1.36

20%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$28,915.64$8,593.28

70%

Toyota Corolla (new)$25,702.79$6,444.46

75%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$131.53$140.69

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$55.88$103.74

46%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.15$0.07

53%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$57.03$23.82

58%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$14.06$4.78

66%

Cinema, 1 ticket$8.03$2

75%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$117.04$171.24

32%

International primary school/yr$2,710.84$14,061.39

81%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$60.81$12.66

79%

Summer dress (chain store)$42.17$31.12

26%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$67.63$90.18

25%

Men's leather business shoes$88.35$105.64

16%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$568.94$262.01

54%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$227.99$168.4

26%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,269.08$832.64

34%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$835.34$439.96

47%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,579.65$10,763.91

85%

Price per m², outside centre$1,499.33—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$131.96$396.94

67%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.93$26

58%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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