Cost of living in Zambia
Summary of cost of living in Zambia
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: 51,111 Kwacha
- Single person estimated monthly costs: 22,866 Kwacha WARNING! These estimates are based on only a few data points. At the moment, you should treat them only as a best guess.
Change the currency:
| Food | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 75 Kwacha | ||
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | 118 Kwacha | ||
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 37 Kwacha | ||
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 31 Kwacha | ||
| 12 eggs, large | 39 Kwacha | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 28 Kwacha | ||
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 310 Kwacha | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 68 Kwacha | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 21 Kwacha | ||
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 23 Kwacha | ||
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 314 Kwacha | ||
| 2 liters of coca-cola | 30 Kwacha | ||
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 25 Kwacha | ||
| Housing | |||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | 20,033 Kwacha | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | 6,771 Kwacha | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 544 Kwacha | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 15,000 Kwacha | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | 4,972 Kwacha | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | 405 Kwacha | ||
| Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | 3,207 Kwacha | ||
| 40” flat screen tv | 2,682 Kwacha | ||
| Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | 7,000 Kwacha | ||
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 45 Kwacha | ||
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 50 Kwacha | ||
| Clothes | |||
| 1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | 500 Kwacha | ||
| 1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | 500 Kwacha | ||
| 1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | 2,042 Kwacha | ||
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 1,800 Kwacha | ||
| Transportation | |||
| Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 355,205 Kwacha | ||
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 33 Kwacha | ||
| Monthly ticket public transport | 992 Kwacha | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 116 Kwacha | ||
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 72 Kwacha | ||
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 337 Kwacha | ||
| 1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | 87 Kwacha | ||
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 61 Kwacha | ||
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 60 Kwacha | ||
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 40 Kwacha | ||
| Tube of toothpaste | 25 Kwacha | ||
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | - | ||
| Entertainment | |||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 500 Kwacha | ||
| 2 tickets to the movies | 69 Kwacha | ||
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 300 Kwacha | ||
| Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 400 Kwacha | ||
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 50 Kwacha | ||
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 35 Kwacha | ||
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 59 Kwacha | ||
| Ipad wi-fi 128gb | 6,000 Kwacha | ||
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 2.00 Kwacha | ||
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 467 Kwacha | ||
| 1 package of marlboro cigarettes | 52 Kwacha | ||
Map of Cost of Living in Zambia
This map shows only the top cities in Zambia. We also have on this page a list of all the cities available in Expatistan:
List of all the cities available in Expatistan
The color of each marker corresponds with the cost of living in the city red markers show more expensive cities green ones show cheaper cities
Moving the mouse on top of a city will show its name and the Cost of Living Index of that city.
What is the Cost of Living Index? To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a
central reference city (that happens to be Prague).
Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the
database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.
Recent Comparisons
- Cost of living in Ndola is 10% more expensive than in Lusaka
- Cost of living in Lusaka is 69% more expensive than in Blantyre
- Cost of living in Lusaka is 69% cheaper than in Los Angeles, California
- Cost of living in Kabwe is 36% cheaper than in Antigua Guatemala
- Cost of living in Kabwe is 68% cheaper than in The Hague
- Cost of living in Chingola is about the same as in London
- Cost of living in Lusaka is 66% cheaper than in Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Cost of living in Kabwe is 80% cheaper than in Washington D.C.
- Cost of living in Lusaka is 11% more expensive than in Kigali
- Cost of living in Kabwe is about the same as in Allahabad
- Cost of living in Kabwe is 6% cheaper than in Anantapur
- Cost of living in Lusaka is 30% cheaper than in Lima
- Cost of living in Ndola is 14% more expensive than in Ahmednagar
- Cost of living in Ndola is 38% cheaper than in Copenhagen
- Cost of living in Ndola is 21% cheaper than in Hamburg
- Cost of living in Lusaka is 6% cheaper than in Algiers
- Cost of living in Ndola is 11% cheaper than in Zhytomyr
- Cost of living in Kabwe is 36% cheaper than in Aizawl
- Cost of living in Kabwe is 55% cheaper than in San Jose, Costa Rica
- Cost of living in Ndola is 11% cheaper than in Lubumbashi