Juba vs Lusaka

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 11% cheaper Lusaka +19 Mbps N/A / Moderate
Nomad Cost

$1,542

Juba

$1,367

Lusaka

Internet

1

Mbps

20

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Juba

Moderate

Lusaka

Air Quality

5/5

Juba

5/5

Lusaka

Healthcare

N/A

Juba

High

Lusaka

Population

230.2k

Juba

1.7m

Lusaka

Juba (South Sudan) 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 has a modest cost advantage at $1367/mo compared to Juba's $1542/mo — a 11% gap that matters over time.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lusaka has a clear edge at 20 Mbps (#167 globally) compared to Juba's 1 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Juba and Lusaka.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Juba is October (around 38 degrees, 1mm rain, score 327), 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

JubaLusaka
Nomad$1,542/mo$1,367/mo
Expat$589/mo$530/mo
Local–$231/mo
Family–$807/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

JubaLusaka
City Speed
1 Mbps
20 Mbps#167
Country Speed0 Mbps22 Mbps

Environment & Health

JubaLusaka
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionN/AHigh
ClimateN/AN/A
Humidity3689

Quality of Life

JubaLusaka
SafetyN/AModerate
HealthcareN/AHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Juba
Lusaka
Jan
37°
0mm302
29°
3mm309
Feb
40°
0mm302
32°
0mm389
Mar
42°
0mm292
29°
1mm378
Apr
40°
0mm300
27°
0mm402
May
40°
1mm297
24°
0mm402
Jun
38°
0mm310
20°
0mm382
Jul
36°
2mm290
24°
0mm402
Aug
36°
4mm270
25°
0mm402
Sep
39°
0mm312
29°
0mm402
Oct
38°
1mm327
31°
0mm402
Nov
37°
0mm300
32°
1mm378
Dec
37°
0mm302
33°
0mm387

Who Should Choose Juba?

  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Smaller city feel with 230.2k residents
  • Peak season in October — 38 degrees, score 327

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 Juba's $1542/mo, that is a 11% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Juba Lusaka
ItemJubaLusakaDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$7.5$3
60%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$30$18.37
39%
McMeal or equivalent combo$6$3.17
47%
Cappuccino (regular)$1.5$1.81
17%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$3$1.22
59%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.5$1.5
57%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1$0.88
12%
Water (0.33L)$1$0.47
53%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.38$1.34
3%
White bread (500g)$2$0.95
53%
White rice (1kg)$2.25$2
11%
Eggs (12)$3.63$1.73
52%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$2.5$4.18
40%
Beef round (1kg)—$5.3
—
Local cheese (1kg)—$9.11
—
Apples (1kg)$6.5$2.48
62%
Bananas (1kg)$3$1.49
50%
Oranges (1kg)$2$2.51
20%
Tomatoes (1kg)$3$1.16
61%
Potatoes (1kg)$2.5$1.23
51%
Onions (1kg)$3$1.59
47%
Lettuce (1 head)$1$1.22
18%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.92$0.98
6%
Wine, mid-range bottle$10$4.9
51%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1$0.99
1%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.25$1.26
1%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)—$2.66
—
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$1.5$1.24
17%
Monthly transport pass$60$30.62
49%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$6$3
50%
Taxi per 1km$0.75$0.62
17%
Taxi 1hr waiting—$9.19
—
Gasoline (1L)$1.38$1.36
1%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$10,000$8,593.28
14%
Toyota Corolla (new)$12,000$6,444.46
46%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$140.69
—
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$100$103.74
4%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.03$0.07
57%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$225$23.82
89%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$5$4.78
4%
Cinema, 1 ticket—$2
—
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo—$171.24
—
International primary school/yr$8,000$14,061.39
43%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$35$12.66
64%
Summer dress (chain store)—$31.12
—
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$35$90.18
61%
Men's leather business shoes$50$105.64
53%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,350$262.01
89%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,700$168.4
90%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$7,800.5$832.64
89%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,650$439.96
73%
🏗️Buy1 items
Price per m², city centre$4,305.56$10,763.91
60%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$750$396.94
47%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$26
—

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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