Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kabwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabwe: $573 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Kabwe
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Kabwe Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Kabwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $573 in Kabwe.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kabwe $573

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $907 in Kabwe.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kabwe $907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,242 in Kabwe.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kabwe $1,242

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 365% more expensive than in Kabwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kabwe is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.47 ZMW 109

279.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.30 ZMW 603

179.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.06 ZMW 101

143.48%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.88 ZMW 57.2

95.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.73 ZMW 14.60

409.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 ZMW 9.03

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.28 ZMW 25.49

528.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.31 ZMW 46.03

290.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.67 ZMW 33.24

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.23 ZMW 24.42

204.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.03 ZMW 40.41

60.59%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.17 ZMW 23.21

256.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.30 ZMW 205

25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.35 ZMW 126

122.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.46 ZMW 128

151.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.42 ZMW 68.1

26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.04 ZMW 20.66

40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.63 ZMW 72.2

24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

185.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.51 ZMW 49.92

2.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.78 ZMW 35.43

32.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.15 ZMW 22.95

54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.76 ZMW 15.09

192.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.03 ZMW 60.3

226.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.01 ZMW 199

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.48 ZMW 29.47

97.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.36 ZMW 47.02

46.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.59 ZMW 51.5

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.54 ZMW 30.53

7.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.89 ZMW 97.3

621.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 ZMW 26.81

-29.63%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

$7,588 ZMW 150.9K

375.06%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.1K ZMW 539.4K

-0.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$229 $229

$79.2 ZMW 1,576

188.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$10.24 ZMW 204

479.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.0 ZMW 1,115

24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.86 ZMW 117

143.69%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$137 ZMW 2,719

1001.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.9K ZMW 335.9K

27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$22.99 ZMW 457

129.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$15.34 ZMW 305

185.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$44.92 ZMW 893

88.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$72.2 ZMW 1,437

42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-76.59%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kabwe

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kabwe

$226 39.5% 44.1% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kabwe

$146 25.4% 59.4% $213

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kabwe

$109 19.1% 69.1% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kabwe

$70 12.2% 45.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1% 86.3% $74

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kabwe

$10 * 1.8% 82.5% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $30.00 in Kabwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $226 per month, with Kabwe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

20:28 8:28 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

117,517

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

ZMW to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kabwe 14,260 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabwe wins on cost – living expenses run 365% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kabwe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $137 in Kabwe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kabwe – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $573 in Kabwe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kabwe but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kabwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kabwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 365% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.