Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Gaborone vs Lusaka

Gaborone vs Lusaka

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 40% cheaper Moderate / Moderate

Gaborone

Justice Hubane/Unsplash

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,262

Gaborone

$1,367

Lusaka

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Gaborone

Moderate

Lusaka

Air Quality

5/5

Gaborone

5/5

Lusaka

Healthcare

Moderate

Gaborone

High

Lusaka

Population

231.6k

Gaborone

1.7m

Lusaka

Gaborone (Botswana) 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 40% compared to Gaborone's $2262/mo — that's $10740 per year.

For families, Gaborone costs $1701.656843858562/mo compared to Lusaka's $806.9391088542649/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Lusaka's 20 Mbps (global #167) — considerably faster than Gaborone's 15 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Lusaka offers better healthcare infrastructure than Gaborone — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Gaborone is April (around 26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 403), 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

GaboroneLusaka

Nomad$2,262/mo$1,367/mo

Expat$1,124/mo$530/mo

Local$486/mo$231/mo

Family$1,702/mo$807/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

GaboroneLusaka

City Speed

15 Mbps

20 Mbps#167

Country Speed15 Mbps22 Mbps

Environment & Health

GaboroneLusaka

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateHigh

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity5789

Quality of Life

GaboroneLusaka

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareModerateHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Gaborone

Lusaka

Jan

35°

0mm383

29°

3mm309

Feb

37°

0mm363

32°

0mm389

Mar

35°

0mm383

29°

1mm378

Apr

26°

0mm403

27°

0mm402

May

25°

0mm403

24°

0mm402

Jun

19°

0mm383

20°

0mm382

Jul

21°

0mm403

24°

0mm402

Aug

25°

0mm403

25°

0mm402

Sep

28°

0mm403

29°

0mm402

Oct

31°

0mm403

31°

0mm402

Nov

34°

0mm363

32°

1mm378

Dec

36°

1mm378

33°

0mm387

Who Should Choose Gaborone?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1701.656843858562/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 231.6k residents
Peak season in April — 26 degrees, score 403

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 Gaborone's $2262/mo by 40%, and the 20 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Gaborone Lusaka

ItemGaboroneLusakaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$11.62$3

74%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$34.85$18.37

47%

McMeal or equivalent combo$6$3.17

47%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.56$1.81

29%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.55$1.22

21%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.94$1.5

23%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$0.88

Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.47

18%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.14$1.34

15%

White bread (500g)$0.74$0.95

22%

White rice (1kg)$1.53$2

24%

Eggs (12)$2.12$1.73

18%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.38$4.18

Beef round (1kg)$4.98$5.3

Local cheese (1kg)$5.78$9.11

37%

Apples (1kg)$1.7$2.48

31%

Bananas (1kg)$1.36$1.49

Oranges (1kg)$2.06$2.51

18%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.31$1.16

11%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.2$1.23

Onions (1kg)$1.28$1.59

19%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.11$1.22

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.85$0.98

13%

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.97$4.9

30%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.48$0.99

33%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.77$1.26

29%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.26$2.66

38%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.5$1.24

60%

Monthly transport pass$21.84$30.62

29%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.54$3

82%

Taxi per 1km$2.32$0.62

73%

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.87$9.19

58%

Gasoline (1L)$1.02$1.36

25%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,587.47$8,593.28

54%

Toyota Corolla (new)$16,215.63$6,444.46

60%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$46.85$140.69

67%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$47.19$103.74

55%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.12$0.07

42%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$36.87$23.82

35%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$6.51$4.78

27%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.81$2

66%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$156.06$171.24

International primary school/yr$4,414.52$14,061.39

69%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$39.15$12.66

68%

Summer dress (chain store)$23.33$31.12

25%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$51.63$90.18

43%

Men's leather business shoes$52.48$105.64

50%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$256.35$262.01

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$208.14$168.4

19%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$690.58$832.64

17%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$448.23$439.96

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,403.74$10,763.91

87%

Price per m², outside centre$38,723.9—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$724.69$396.94

45%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$9.96$26

62%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

Related Comparisons

See all comparisons

GaboronevsPort Harcourt

GaboronevsLusaka

AntananarivovsGaborone