---
title: "Kigali vs Lusaka for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kigali-vs-lusaka
description: "Under balanced weights Kigali edges it, 48 to 47, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kigali is stronger on nothing outright; Lusaka on air quality, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Kigali vs Lusaka for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kigali edges it, 48 to 47, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kigali is stronger on nothing outright; Lusaka on air quality, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 68 | no data | — |
| Safety | 62 | 54 | Kigali |
| Healthcare | 50 | 42 | Kigali |
| Internet | 33 | 35 | Lusaka |
| Visa ease | 34 | 46 | Lusaka |
| Getting there & around | 38 | 29 | Kigali |
| Climate | 75 | 83 | Lusaka |
| Air quality | 50 | 68 | Lusaka |
| Quality of life | 24 | 22 | Kigali |

## Cost

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $820 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 3.61 | 5.9 | Kigali |
| Political stability (0–100) | 67.7 | 64.6 | Kigali |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 59 | 62 | Lusaka |
| Life expectancy | 67.5 yrs | 61 yrs | Kigali |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 5.1 Mbps | 6.2 Mbps | Lusaka |
| Upload | 2.6 Mbps | 1.8 Mbps | Kigali |

## Visa

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | 90 days | Lusaka |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | 90 days | Lusaka |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 90 days | Lusaka |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 16 | 19 | Lusaka |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Kigali |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Kigali |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kigali | Lusaka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 9 | 10 | Lusaka |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 27.5 µg/m³ | 19.5 µg/m³ | Lusaka |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kigali or Lusaka?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Kigali or Lusaka safer?

Kigali scores higher on safety (62 vs 54), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Kigali or Lusaka?

Lusaka: a measured median of 6.2 Mbps versus 5.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kigali](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kigali) · [Lusaka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lusaka). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); OpenFlights airports and routes; Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Monitoring and Dispersion Modelling of PM2.5 in Rwanda (2019–2024); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kigali-vs-lusaka