Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kabwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabwe: $573 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Kabwe
🇿🇲 Zambia
$573
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Kabwe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Kabwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $573 in Kabwe.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Kabwe $573

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $907 in Kabwe.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Kabwe $907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,242 in Kabwe.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Kabwe $1,242

Living in Athens is roughly 210% more expensive than in Kabwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Kabwe is 58% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$5.47 ZMW 109
205.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$30.30 ZMW 603
123.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$5.06 ZMW 101
120.16%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.88 ZMW 57.2
39.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.73 ZMW 14.60
279.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.45 ZMW 9.03
22.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$1.28 ZMW 25.49
348.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$2.31 ZMW 46.03
135.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.67 ZMW 33.24
8.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.23 ZMW 24.42
12.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.03 ZMW 40.41
37.93%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$1.17 ZMW 23.21
312.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$10.30 ZMW 205
46.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$6.35 ZMW 126
67.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$6.46 ZMW 128
185.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.42 ZMW 68.1
-35.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.04 ZMW 20.66
82.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.63 ZMW 72.2
-62.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.52 ZMW 30.18
38.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.51 ZMW 49.92
-56.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.78 ZMW 35.43
-37.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.15 ZMW 22.95
-2.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.76 ZMW 15.09
15.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$3.03 ZMW 60.3
80.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$10.01 ZMW 199
1.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.48 ZMW 29.47
43.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.36 ZMW 47.02
-4.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$2.59 ZMW 51.5
71.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.54 ZMW 30.53
-33.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$4.89 ZMW 97.3
246.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.35 ZMW 26.81
66.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$7,588 ZMW 150.9K
269.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$27.1K ZMW 539.4K
4.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$79.2 ZMW 1,576
158.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$10.24 ZMW 204
160.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$56.0 ZMW 1,115
-45.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$5.86 ZMW 117
77.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$137 ZMW 2,719
316.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$16.9K ZMW 335.9K
-25.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$22.99 ZMW 457
285.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$15.34 ZMW 305
163.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$44.92 ZMW 893
133.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$72.2 ZMW 1,437
67.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Kabwe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
29
-84.55%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Kabwe
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Kabwe
$226 27.1% $84
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Kabwe
$109 59.2% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Kabwe
$146 44.4% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Kabwe
$70 56.3% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Kabwe
$12 * 84.4% $64
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Kabwe
$10 * 77.1% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $30.00 in Kabwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $226 per month, with Kabwe cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇿🇲 Kabwe
🕒 Local time
22:25 10:25 PM
21:25 9:25 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
117,517
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Kabwe 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Kabwe

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Athens vs Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Kabwe?
Kabwe wins on cost – living expenses run 210% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kabwe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Kabwe?
You'd need roughly $2,662 in Athens and $859 in Kabwe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Kabwe?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $137 in Kabwe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Kabwe?
Dining out is cheaper in Kabwe – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Kabwe?
At $573 in Kabwe versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kabwe but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kabwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Kabwe?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kabwe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $573 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kabwe hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Kabwe?
Safety-wise, Athens and Kabwe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kabwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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