Livingstone
Zambia · Africa · 140K people
Small Zambian town beside Victoria Falls, built almost entirely around tourism.
Ranked #282 of 303 overall · -17.84, 25.85
Overview
Livingstone, Zambia, is home to about 140,000 residents and has built a reputation that goes beyond its size. Part of its draw is that it's genuinely affordable to live in. It's a city that tends to fly under the radar compared to its country's biggest names, without being any less livable for it. People who choose to settle in Livingstone tend to point to a genuinely affordable cost of living, a climate most people find easy to live with, and cleaner air than most cities its size as the deciding factors. Within the 33 cities we track in Africa, the regional average sits at 6.0/10, which puts Livingstone's 5.6/10 a little behind the regional norm. On CityMatch, Livingstone scores 5.6/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #282 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is cost of living at 7/10, while public transport is its softest spot at 3/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Reasonable day-to-day costs.
Generally safe with normal precautions.
Air quality is acceptable most of the year.
Largely car-dependent.
A normal seasonal mix, nothing extreme.
Worth checking specifics if care needs are ongoing.
Worth testing a neighborhood's connection first.
Is Livingstone right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
At 7/10, Livingstone is genuinely easy on the budget — one of the more affordable options for the lifestyle it offers.
Air quality and environment score 7/10 here — outdoor time doesn't come with a mental asterisk.
Climate scores 7/10 — genuinely pleasant weather is one of the clearer reasons people choose Livingstone.
Trade-offs
Transport is the soft spot at 3/10 — plan on a car or regular rideshares rather than relying on public transit alone.
Healthcare scores 4/10, on the lower end — worth checking specifics if ongoing medical care matters to you.
Is Livingstone safe?
At 6/10, safety in Livingstone is unremarkable in a good way: no particular risk stands out, but it's not a standout strength either.
At night
Nighttime is fine in most central areas, but it's worth checking which neighborhoods quiet down early versus stay lively and populated.
For tourists
Tourists are generally fine sticking to well-trodden areas; the usual advice about watching belongings in crowds and transit hubs applies.
For families
Safety, healthcare (4/10) and environment (7/10) together suggest a reasonable, if not exceptional, environment for families.
For solo travelers
Solo travel here is broadly fine with standard precautions; it's worth reading recent, specific traveler reports rather than relying on the city's reputation alone.
On public transport
We'd be more selective about late-night public transport here — daytime use is generally fine, but off-peak service and platforms are worth a second thought.
Practical tips
- →Stick to well-lit, populated streets after dark, as you would in most cities.
- →Keep valuables out of sight rather than out of caution about any specific threat.
What's the climate like in Livingstone?
Livingstone scores 7/10 on climate — pleasant enough for most of the year, without being a specific draw on its own.
Seasonal character
Expect a normal four-season rhythm (or a wet/dry split closer to the equator), without extremes dominating the calendar.
Comfort level
Comfort is generally good, with the odd day or short stretch that calls for planning ahead rather than year-round ease.
Best time to live here
Shoulder-season months (spring and autumn, broadly) tend to be the safest bet if you can choose when to visit or move.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Livingstone
Put together, quality of life in Livingstone is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: livingstone doesn't lean strongly toward any particular pace — it's neither a nightlife-driven city nor a notably sleepy one, more of a middle-ground, live-and-let-live kind of place, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's worth planning around.
Pace & lifestyle
Livingstone doesn't lean strongly toward any particular pace — it's neither a nightlife-driven city nor a notably sleepy one, more of a middle-ground, live-and-let-live kind of place.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor time is reasonably pleasant, with environment (7/10) and climate (7/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Transport is a genuine weak point (3/10); budgeting for a car or regular rideshares is close to a practical necessity for daily life.
Culture & leisure
Livingstone isn't specifically marketed on culture or nightlife in our data, which usually means a more everyday, less tourist-oriented pace of life — good for routine, less exciting for a short visit.
Based on its actual score profile, Livingstone tends to suit people who prioritize cost of living and environment & air quality over public transport — see "Who Livingstone suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Livingstone?
Livingstone scores 7/10 on environment — decent air quality most of the year, without being a specific standout.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Livingstone suits
Budget-conscious mover
Budget-conscious movers — movers for whom affordability outweighs every other factor (fit score 5.8/10 here).
Freelancer
Freelancers — independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (fit score 5.7/10 here).
Digital nomad
Digital nomads — remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (fit score 5.8/10 here).
Retiree
Retirees — retirees prioritizing healthcare, climate and a calm environment over nightlife or internet speed (fit score 5.7/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Livingstone scores 7/10 on affordability — not cheap, but reasonable: expect a moderate budget to cover a comfortable, unremarkable lifestyle.
Safety
Livingstone scores 6/10 on safety — generally fine, with the usual big-city precautions rather than any particular red flag.
Climate
Livingstone's climate scores 7/10 — a decent mix of seasons without extremes in either direction.
Quality of life
Livingstone scores 5.6/10 overall, but that average hides a real spread: cost of living (7/10) is genuinely strong, while public transport (3/10) pulls the picture down considerably. The average across all seven criteria is 5.6/10.
Transport
Livingstone is largely car-dependent: transport scores just 3/10, so budgeting for a vehicle or regular rideshares is close to a practical necessity.
Internet & remote work
Internet in Livingstone scores 5/10 — workable, but worth testing a specific neighborhood's connection before committing to it for remote work.
Why choose Livingstone?
Livingstone makes the most sense if cost of living matters more to you than public transport — at 5.6/10 overall, it's a solid rather than perfect pick, and the trade-offs above are worth weighing against your own priorities rather than the headline score alone.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Livingstone safe?
Livingstone scores 6/10 on safety — generally fine, with the usual precautions you'd take in any mid-sized city.
What budget do I need to live in Livingstone?
Livingstone scores 7/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Livingstone good for families?
Livingstone is a reasonable family option — safety (6/10) and healthcare (4/10) are solid enough, without being standout strengths.
Is Livingstone a good city for students?
Livingstone isn't an obvious student pick: affordability (7/10) and transport (3/10) average out lower than the cities we specifically tag for students.
Is Livingstone suitable for digital nomads?
Remote work is possible in Livingstone, but it's not an obvious pick — internet (5/10) and cost of living (7/10) are less favorable than our dedicated digital-nomad cities.
What's the climate like in Livingstone?
Livingstone scores 7/10 on climate — a normal seasonal mix without real extremes.
Is Livingstone pleasant to live in year-round?
Largely yes — with a climate score of 7/10 and an environment (air quality) score of 7/10, Livingstone holds up well across seasons.
Is Livingstone a good choice for a first move abroad?
A first move abroad is more demanding in Livingstone: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to just 5.0/10, so more preparation and local research is worth doing before committing.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Livingstone?
Connectivity is a genuine consideration here: Livingstone scores 5/10 on internet, so it's worth testing a specific neighborhood's connection before relying on it for remote work.
Is Livingstone a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 5.7/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Livingstone?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Lusaka and Essaouira are the closest matches to Livingstone in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Livingstone worth living in?
Reasonably — Livingstone scores 5.6/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Livingstone?
Based on its score profile, Livingstone suits people who value cost of living and environment & air quality more than the average mover — see the "Who Livingstone suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Livingstone walkable, and is public transport good?
Not especially — Livingstone scores just 3/10 on transport, so expect to lean on a car, bike or rideshares more than public transit alone.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Livingstone?
Cost of living is Livingstone's standout strength, scoring 7/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Livingstone?
Public transport is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 3/10 — the lowest of Livingstone's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.