Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $889 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lusaka

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 Lusaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $889 in Lusaka.

Austin, TX $2,704
Lusaka $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,510 in Lusaka.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lusaka $1,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,131 in Lusaka.

Austin, TX $5,562
Lusaka $2,131

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 204% more expensive than in Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Lusaka is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.74 ZMW 114

252.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$30.85 ZMW 612

175.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.96 ZMW 98.4

148.99%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.90 ZMW 57.4

88.62%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.74 ZMW 14.65

416.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.46 ZMW 9.16

443.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.30 ZMW 25.85

520.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.27 ZMW 44.98

296.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.76 ZMW 34.83

-35.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.18 ZMW 23.41

220.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.13 ZMW 42.28

52.58%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.92 ZMW 38.15

115.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.36 ZMW 205

26.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.25 ZMW 124

128.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.62 ZMW 131

141.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.48 ZMW 69.0

25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.40 ZMW 47.66

-39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.59 ZMW 71.1

26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.58 ZMW 31.25

165.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.53 ZMW 50.1

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.81 ZMW 35.93

30.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.12 ZMW 22.23

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.79 ZMW 15.68

173.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.96 ZMW 58.7

231.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.26 ZMW 203

43.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.44 ZMW 28.53

93.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.35 ZMW 46.63

48.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.98 ZMW 19.51

52.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$49.75 ZMW 987

-18.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.51 ZMW 49.71

6.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.56 ZMW 30.84

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$5.02 ZMW 99.6

602.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ZMW 30.69

-36.13%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$7,507 ZMW 148.9K

376.92%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.0K ZMW 536.2K

0.51%

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

$219 $219

$80.5 ZMW 1,595

172.52%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$10.41 ZMW 207

457.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$55.5 ZMW 1,101

23.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$55.5 ZMW 1,100

4.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$15.10 ZMW 300

-1.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.00 ZMW 119

135.50%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$139 ZMW 2,748

989.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.7K ZMW 331.0K

28.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$23.34 ZMW 463

121.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$15.35 ZMW 304

186.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$45.95 ZMW 911

85.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$72.3 ZMW 1,433

45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$391 ZMW 7,744

394.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$180 ZMW 3,575

605.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,107 ZMW 21.9K

231.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$596 ZMW 11.8K

323.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,906 ZMW 37.8K

299.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,999 ZMW 99.1K

-36.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$317 ZMW 6,282

1511.44%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Lusaka

$180 20.5% 85.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Lusaka

$239 27.2% 40.6% $163

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Lusaka

$111 12.7% 68% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Lusaka

$146 16.7% 57.6% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Lusaka

$71 8% 45.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Lusaka

$67 7.7% 21.7% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Lusaka

$64 7.3% 12.2% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $391 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1511% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $31.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $239 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,742,979 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

ZMW to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lusaka 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lusaka

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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka wins on cost – living expenses run 204% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lusaka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1511% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $391 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $889 in Lusaka – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Lusaka versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.