Lubumbashi vs Yamoussoukro
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Yamoussoukro edges it, 40 to 34, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Lubumbashi is stronger on air quality; Yamoussoukro on safety, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
DR Congo's copper capital, near the Zambian border in the far south-east
Full Lubumbashi profile →Plan a trip to Lubumbashi →Côte d'Ivoire's official capital, with a vast basilica and very little bustle
Full Yamoussoukro profile →Plan a trip to Yamoussoukro →Where they differ
- Safety. Yamoussoukro leads on safety, 38 to 18, against Lubumbashi. Homicides per 100,000: 12.4 vs 11.
- Air quality. Lubumbashi leads on air quality, 58 to 41, against Yamoussoukro. PM2.5: 23.7 µg/m³ vs 31.4 µg/m³.
- Visa ease. Yamoussoukro leads on visa ease, 42 to 32, against Lubumbashi.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, getting there & around.
Pick Lubumbashi if you want
- cleaner air
Pick Yamoussoukro if you want
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | no data |
| Safety | 18 | 38 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 34 | 42 ✓ |
| Internet | 39 | 44 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 32 | 42 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 7 | 11 ✓ |
| Climate | 67 | 75 ✓ |
| Air quality | 58 ✓ | 41 |
| Quality of life | 16 | 23 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | no data | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 12.4 | 11 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 28.3 | 53.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 41 | 46 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 62.1 yrs | 65.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 7.7 Mbps | 8.7 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 2.8 Mbps | 5.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | eTA required (online, before travel) ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | eTA required (online, before travel) ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | eTA required (online, before travel) ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 41 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Lubumbashi | Yamoussoukro |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 9 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 31.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Lubumbashi or Yamoussoukro?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Lubumbashi or Yamoussoukro safer?
- Yamoussoukro scores higher on safety (38 vs 18), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Lubumbashi or Yamoussoukro?
- Yamoussoukro: a measured median of 8.7 Mbps versus 7.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
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- Yamoussoukro vs Kisangani
- All comparisons
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; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.