Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lusaka vs Yaounde

Lusaka vs Yaounde

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 47% cheaper Lusaka +11 Mbps Moderate / N/A

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Yaounde

Ariel Nathan ADA MBITA/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,367

Lusaka

$2,576

Yaounde

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Lusaka

N/A

Yaounde

Air Quality

5/5

Lusaka

5/5

Yaounde

Healthcare

High

Lusaka

N/A

Yaounde

Population

1.7m

Lusaka

1.8m

Yaounde

Lusaka (Zambia) and Yaounde (Cameroon) 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 47% compared to Yaounde's $2576/mo — that's $14508 per year.

For families, Lusaka costs $806.9391088542649/mo compared to Yaounde's $1501.102052619856/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Lusaka's 20 Mbps (global #167) — considerably faster than Yaounde's 9 Mbps (#190).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lusaka and Yaounde.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lusaka is April (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 402), while Yaounde peaks in January (33 degrees, 0mm rain, score 353). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LusakaYaounde

Nomad$1,367/mo$2,576/mo

Expat$530/mo$1,037/mo

Local$231/mo$429/mo

Family$807/mo$1,501/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LusakaYaounde

City Speed

20 Mbps#167

9 Mbps#190

Country Speed22 Mbps8 Mbps

Environment & Health

LusakaYaounde

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity8978

Quality of Life

LusakaYaounde

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lusaka

Yaounde

Jan

29°

3mm309

33°

0mm353

Feb

32°

0mm389

35°

1mm329

Mar

29°

1mm378

36°

1mm325

Apr

27°

0mm402

36°

4mm271

May

24°

0mm402

35°

3mm271

Jun

20°

0mm382

32°

3mm181

Jul

24°

0mm402

30°

3mm143

Aug

25°

0mm402

29°

2mm189

Sep

29°

0mm402

31°

7mm120

Oct

31°

0mm402

31°

13mm158

Nov

32°

1mm378

32°

1mm292

Dec

33°

0mm387

32°

0mm338

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 Yaounde?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1501.102052619856/mo for families
Peak season in January — 33 degrees, score 353

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Lusaka is the stronger pick. At $1367/mo it beats Yaounde's $2576/mo by 47%, and the 20 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Lusaka Yaounde

ItemLusakaYaoundeDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3$3.21

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$18.37$32.13

43%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.17$3.21

Cappuccino (regular)$1.81$1.45

20%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.22$1.08

11%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.5$1.37

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.88$0.72

18%

Water (0.33L)$0.47$0.43

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.34$1.94

31%

White bread (500g)$0.95$0.7

26%

White rice (1kg)$2$0.88

56%

Eggs (12)$1.73$1.52

12%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.18$4.38

Beef round (1kg)$5.3$5.46

Local cheese (1kg)$9.11$14.86

39%

Apples (1kg)$2.48$2.41

Bananas (1kg)$1.49$1.37

Oranges (1kg)$2.51$1.37

45%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.16$1.08

Potatoes (1kg)$1.23$1.41

13%

Onions (1kg)$1.59$1.53

Lettuce (1 head)$1.22$0.59

52%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.98$0.58

41%

Wine, mid-range bottle$4.9$5.62

13%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.99$1.03

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.26$1.53

18%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.66$2.81

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.24$0.4

68%

Monthly transport pass$30.62—

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3$0.4

87%

Taxi per 1km$0.62$0.4

35%

Taxi 1hr waiting$9.19$4.02

56%

Gasoline (1L)$1.36$1.02

25%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$8,593.28$16,064.24

47%

Toyota Corolla (new)$6,444.46$4,658.63

28%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$140.69$73.63

48%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$103.74$48.19

54%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.07$0.12

42%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$23.82$30.79

23%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$4.78$14.46

67%

Cinema, 1 ticket$2$8.03

75%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$171.24$116.47

32%

International primary school/yr$14,061.39$1,887.55

87%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$12.66$24.55

48%

Summer dress (chain store)$31.12$29.56

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$90.18$30.25

66%

Men's leather business shoes$105.64$45.52

57%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$262.01$102.81

61%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$168.4$89.96

47%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$832.64$638.56

23%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$439.96$318.61

28%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$10,763.91$963.85

91%

Price per m², outside centre—$197.27

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$396.94$361.45

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$26$7.33

72%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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