Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lusaka vs Monrovia

Lusaka vs Monrovia

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 50% cheaper Moderate / N/A

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Monrovia

Bethany Laird/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,367

Lusaka

$2,717

Monrovia

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Lusaka

N/A

Monrovia

Air Quality

5/5

Lusaka

5/5

Monrovia

Healthcare

High

Lusaka

N/A

Monrovia

Population

1.7m

Lusaka

37.1k

Monrovia

Lusaka (Zambia) and Monrovia (Liberia) 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 50% compared to Monrovia's $2717/mo — that's $16200 per year.

For families, Lusaka costs $806.9391088542649/mo compared to Monrovia's $2816.430800351664/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Lusaka's 20 Mbps (global #167) — considerably faster than Monrovia's 13 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lusaka and Monrovia.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lusaka is April (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 402), while Monrovia peaks in December (37 degrees, 1mm rain, score 327). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LusakaMonrovia

Nomad$1,367/mo$2,717/mo

Expat$530/mo$1,557/mo

Local$231/mo$805/mo

Family$807/mo$2,816/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LusakaMonrovia

City Speed

20 Mbps#167

13 Mbps

Country Speed22 Mbps0 Mbps

Environment & Health

LusakaMonrovia

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity8985

Quality of Life

LusakaMonrovia

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lusaka

Monrovia

Jan

29°

3mm309

36°

2mm273

Feb

32°

0mm389

37°

1mm283

Mar

29°

1mm378

37°

1mm294

Apr

27°

0mm402

38°

3mm278

May

24°

0mm402

36°

6mm145

Jun

20°

0mm382

33°

12mm83

Jul

24°

0mm402

30°

8mm52

Aug

25°

0mm402

31°

8mm6

Sep

29°

0mm402

31°

13mm52

Oct

31°

0mm402

34°

11mm114

Nov

32°

1mm378

36°

3mm257

Dec

33°

0mm387

37°

1mm327

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

Who Should Choose Monrovia?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2816.430800351664/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 37.1k residents
Peak season in December — 37 degrees, score 327

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Lusaka is the stronger pick. At $1367/mo it beats Monrovia's $2717/mo by 50%, and the 20 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Lusaka Monrovia

ItemLusakaMonroviaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3$12.5

76%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$18.37$45

59%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.17$10

68%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.81$3.67

51%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.22$2.5

51%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.5$3.5

57%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.88$1.5

41%

Water (0.33L)$0.47$2.67

82%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.34$1.4

White bread (500g)$0.95$1.43

34%

White rice (1kg)$2$4.71

58%

Eggs (12)$1.73$5.33

68%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.18$9.87

58%

Beef round (1kg)$5.3$41.52

87%

Local cheese (1kg)$9.11$15.22

40%

Apples (1kg)$2.48$22.74

89%

Bananas (1kg)$1.49$13.78

89%

Oranges (1kg)$2.51$11.62

78%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.16$15.41

92%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.23$15.87

92%

Onions (1kg)$1.59$12.22

87%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.22$9.25

87%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.98$1.45

32%

Wine, mid-range bottle$4.9$6

18%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.99$2.5

60%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.26$6.7

81%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.66$4

34%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.24$3

59%

Monthly transport pass$30.62$17

44%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3$3.5

14%

Taxi per 1km$0.62$0.47

24%

Taxi 1hr waiting$9.19$10

Gasoline (1L)$1.36$1.04

24%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$8,593.28$5,069.87

41%

Toyota Corolla (new)$6,444.46$14,457.43

55%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$140.69$216.1

35%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$103.74$49.87

52%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.07$0.35

80%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$23.82$66.5

64%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$4.78$5.75

17%

Cinema, 1 ticket$2$9.75

79%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$171.24$132.44

23%

International primary school/yr$14,061.39$1,227.33

91%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$12.66$11.22

11%

Summer dress (chain store)$31.12$26.58

15%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$90.18$48.33

46%

Men's leather business shoes$105.64$36.5

65%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$262.01$1,312.5

80%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$168.4$158.33

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$832.64$2,069.33

60%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$439.96$483

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$10,763.91$5,000

54%

Price per m², outside centre—$2,500

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$396.94$2,592

85%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$26$5

81%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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