Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Dakar vs Lusaka

Dakar vs Lusaka

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 56% cheaper Dakar +10 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Dakar

Omoniyi David/Unsplash

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,101

Dakar

$1,367

Lusaka

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Dakar

Moderate

Lusaka

Air Quality

5/5

Dakar

5/5

Lusaka

Healthcare

High

Dakar

High

Lusaka

Population

1.1m

Dakar

1.7m

Lusaka

Dakar (Senegal) 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

The monthly savings are substantial — Lusaka at $1367/mo costs 56% less than Dakar at $3101/mo, adding up to $20808 over a year.

For families, Dakar costs $3741.548314887869/mo compared to Lusaka's $806.9391088542649/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Dakar has a clear edge at 30 Mbps (#154 globally) compared to Lusaka's 20 Mbps (#167).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Dakar and Lusaka.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Dakar is January (around 28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 416), 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

DakarLusaka

Nomad$3,101/mo$1,367/mo

Expat$1,370/mo$530/mo

Local$1,069/mo$231/mo

Family$3,742/mo$807/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

DakarLusaka

City Speed

30 Mbps#154

20 Mbps#167

Country Speed24 Mbps22 Mbps

Environment & Health

DakarLusaka

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighHigh

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity6289

Quality of Life

DakarLusaka

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareHighHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Dakar

Lusaka

Jan

28°

0mm416

29°

3mm309

Feb

29°

0mm416

32°

0mm389

Mar

25°

0mm416

29°

1mm378

Apr

28°

0mm416

27°

0mm402

May

29°

0mm416

24°

0mm402

Jun

31°

0mm416

20°

0mm382

Jul

33°

1mm387

24°

0mm402

Aug

34°

2mm334

25°

0mm402

Sep

35°

1mm401

29°

0mm402

Oct

36°

0mm416

31°

0mm402

Nov

33°

0mm396

32°

1mm378

Dec

28°

0mm416

33°

0mm387

Who Should Choose Dakar?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Peak season in January — 28 degrees, score 416

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

The data favors Lusaka as the more well-rounded choice. At $1367/mo versus Dakar's $3101/mo, that is a 56% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Dakar Lusaka

ItemDakarLusakaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$8.03$3

63%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$54.62$18.37

66%

McMeal or equivalent combo$8.03$3.17

61%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.4$1.81

47%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.41$1.22

49%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.21$1.5

53%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.1$0.88

20%

Water (0.33L)$0.82$0.47

43%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.91$1.34

30%

White bread (500g)$0.56$0.95

41%

White rice (1kg)$1.02$2

49%

Eggs (12)$2.06$1.73

16%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$9.68$4.18

57%

Beef round (1kg)$8.23$5.3

36%

Local cheese (1kg)$11.89$9.11

23%

Apples (1kg)$2.03$2.48

18%

Bananas (1kg)$1.4$1.49

Oranges (1kg)$1.92$2.51

24%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.27$1.16

Potatoes (1kg)$1.08$1.23

12%

Onions (1kg)$0.89$1.59

44%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.84$1.22

31%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.73$0.98

26%

Wine, mid-range bottle$8.84$4.9

45%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.99$0.99

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.76$1.26

28%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$1.29$2.66

52%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.36$1.24

71%

Monthly transport pass$20.08$30.62

34%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.41$3

20%

Taxi per 1km$2.41$0.62

74%

Taxi 1hr waiting$12.85$9.19

28%

Gasoline (1L)$1.34$1.36

Volkswagen Golf (new)$26,506$8,593.28

68%

Toyota Corolla (new)$26,238.27$6,444.46

75%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$103.26$140.69

27%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$48.8$103.74

53%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.08$0.07

12%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$66.67$23.82

64%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$16.06$4.78

70%

Cinema, 1 ticket$8.03$2

75%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$236.5$171.24

28%

International primary school/yr$4,851.4$14,061.39

65%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$51.41$12.66

75%

Summer dress (chain store)$34.81$31.12

11%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$80.05$90.18

11%

Men's leather business shoes$73.09$105.64

31%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$763.01$262.01

66%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$475.38$168.4

65%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,602.98$832.64

48%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$906.91$439.96

51%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$9,016.38$10,763.91

16%

Price per m², outside centre$11,705.38—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$441.77$396.94

10%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.75$26

66%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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