Cost of Living inLusaka, Zambia
Image credit: Matthew Grollnek
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Zambia: $3,708/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 70% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
Happiness
3.5 / 10
#132 globally
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
Public-schooling rules are set nationally for Zambia; Lusaka-specific enrollment notes are still being verified.
Quality
Mixed public schools (English-medium)
Expat access
English helps, but quality is uneven
conditionalInstruction
English
Language fit is more manageable.
PISA / outcomes
Qualitative only
Using curated quality notes for now.
Why this quality rating
Zambia is more English-friendly than many neighboring systems because English is the main language of formal instruction, but public-school quality still varies materially by district and resources are uneven.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Resident foreign families can often use public schools in principle, and English reduces the language barrier. In practice, many expat families in Lusaka still choose private or international schools for consistency.
❓ Homeschooling
Not specifically regulatedZambia has compulsory education laws but no specific homeschooling framework. Some families use correspondence courses. ZECHS exams are available for homeschooled students for certification. Growing community in Lusaka.
Homeschool legality in Zambia — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Estimate-only country fallback for the family-support costs we track in Zambia.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$375-$525
Estimate-only country fallback
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$650-$900
Estimate-only country fallback
Source: curated family relocation research(derived country fallback)
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Lusaka is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Zambia.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedLow out-of-pocket burden help, but coverage looks thinner and doctor staffing is lighter.
Public care
LimitedRelatively low patient cost-sharing and a visible public hospital footprint help, but public coverage looks thinner and public funding looks lighter.
Private care
MixedA meaningful tracked hospital and clinic network and a clearly private facility base help, but self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.
UHC coverage
62/100
2023
Physicians
0.32/1k
2022
Hospital beds
2.00/1k
2010
Out of pocket
10%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
66.5 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
85/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
21.4/1k
2024
International patient readiness
MixedA visible private hospital base and there is visible specialty depth help, but price transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Zambia yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2024 annual wages in Lusaka, Zambia · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can stay up to 90 days without a visa.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Lusaka compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.4x further in Lusaka than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Zambia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Lusaka cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Lusaka is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 70% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Lusaka. We are using the country-level cost index for Zambia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Lusaka compare with New York City?
Rent in Lusaka is about 88% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Zambia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Lusaka?
Groceries in Lusaka are about 69% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 77% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Zambia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital of Zambia, sitting on a plateau in the south-central part of the country at about 1,300 meters elevation, which gives it a mild climate by Sub-Saharan African standards with a distinct cool dry season from May through August. The economy mixes government, services, and a copper-driven national economy whose mining operations are concentrated in the Copperbelt to the north. English is the official language, which lowers the friction bar for Anglophone relocators, and the city hosts a meaningful diplomatic, NGO, and mining-corporate expat community. For relocators the practical constraints are intermittent power tied to drought-stressed hydroelectric supply, limited rapid transit, and international flight connectivity concentrated on Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Dubai, and a few European routes.
See the full breakdown — free
No password needed. Takes ~30 seconds.