Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Harare vs Lusaka

Harare vs Lusaka

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 48% cheaper Low / Moderate

Harare

Omoniyi David/Unsplash

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,607

Harare

$1,367

Lusaka

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Low

Harare

Moderate

Lusaka

Air Quality

5/5

Harare

5/5

Lusaka

Healthcare

High

Harare

High

Lusaka

Population

1.5m

Harare

1.7m

Lusaka

Harare (Zimbabwe) 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

Lusaka is the clear budget winner at $1367/mo — 48% cheaper than Harare's $2607/mo, a saving of $14880 per year.

For families, Harare costs $1940.1125/mo compared to Lusaka's $806.9391088542649/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Harare has a slight lead on internet at 24 Mbps (#159 globally) compared to Lusaka's 20 Mbps (#167). Both support standard remote work.

Quality of Life

Lusaka has a stronger safety profile than Harare, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Harare and Lusaka.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Harare is February (around 30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 399), 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

HarareLusaka

Nomad$2,607/mo$1,367/mo

Expat$1,151/mo$530/mo

Local$554/mo$231/mo

Family$1,940/mo$807/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

HarareLusaka

City Speed

24 Mbps#159

20 Mbps#167

Country Speed26 Mbps22 Mbps

Environment & Health

HarareLusaka

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighHigh

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7889

Quality of Life

HarareLusaka

SafetyLowModerate

HealthcareHighHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Harare

Lusaka

Jan

28°

1mm347

29°

3mm309

Feb

30°

0mm399

32°

0mm389

Mar

30°

0mm386

29°

1mm378

Apr

27°

0mm389

27°

0mm402

May

23°

0mm399

24°

0mm402

Jun

19°

0mm379

20°

0mm382

Jul

24°

0mm399

24°

0mm402

Aug

25°

0mm399

25°

0mm402

Sep

27°

0mm399

29°

0mm402

Oct

28°

0mm399

31°

0mm402

Nov

30°

0mm389

32°

1mm378

Dec

31°

0mm386

33°

0mm387

Who Should Choose Harare?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1940.1125/mo for families
Peak season in February — 30 degrees, score 399

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

Overall, Lusaka edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1367/mo it runs 48% cheaper than Harare's $2607/mo, with 20 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Harare Lusaka

ItemHarareLusakaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$7$3

57%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$40$18.37

54%

McMeal or equivalent combo$6$3.17

47%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.2$1.81

18%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.3$1.22

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2$1.5

25%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.72$0.88

18%

Water (0.33L)$0.47$0.47

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.61$1.34

17%

White bread (500g)$1$0.95

White rice (1kg)$1.51$2

25%

Eggs (12)$1.81$1.73

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.91$4.18

15%

Beef round (1kg)$4.73$5.3

11%

Local cheese (1kg)$8.08$9.11

11%

Apples (1kg)$2.9$2.48

14%

Bananas (1kg)$1.52$1.49

Oranges (1kg)$1.89$2.51

25%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.39$1.16

17%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.65$1.23

25%

Onions (1kg)$1.35$1.59

15%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.76$1.22

38%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.92$0.98

Wine, mid-range bottle$8$4.9

39%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.18$0.99

16%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.15$1.26

41%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2$2.66

25%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.5$1.24

60%

Monthly transport pass$30$30.62

Taxi start (normal tariff)$5$3

40%

Taxi per 1km$2$0.62

69%

Taxi 1hr waiting$10$9.19

Gasoline (1L)$1.5$1.36

Volkswagen Golf (new)$25,000$8,593.28

66%

Toyota Corolla (new)$27,666.67$6,444.46

77%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$60.67$140.69

57%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$118.75$103.74

13%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.21$0.07

67%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$35$23.82

32%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$9.17$4.78

48%

Cinema, 1 ticket$6.5$2

69%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$288.89$171.24

41%

International primary school/yr$7,087.5$14,061.39

50%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$17.78$12.66

29%

Summer dress (chain store)$20$31.12

36%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$40.62$90.18

55%

Men's leather business shoes$51.43$105.64

51%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$296.43$262.01

12%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$296$168.4

43%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$887.5$832.64

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$762.5$439.96

42%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,344.1$10,763.91

88%

Price per m², outside centre$1,500—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$272.22$396.94

31%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$15$26

42%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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