Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Zambia Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Zambia

Name: Zambia
Address: ZM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $277 in Zambia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $473 in Zambia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $669 in Zambia, rent included.

Australia costs about 688% more than Zambia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Zambia is 79% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$7.04 ZMW 123

133.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$22.74 ZMW 398

243.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$3.58 ZMW 62.6

177.65%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$1.92 ZMW 33.63

87.50%

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

$2.68 A$3.78

$0.63 ZMW 10.97

325.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$0.33 ZMW 5.69

548.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$0.94 ZMW 16.44

594.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$1.43 ZMW 25.05

393.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.24 ZMW 21.65

27.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$0.87 ZMW 15.21

190.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$1.80 ZMW 31.50

15.00%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$1.52 ZMW 26.57

182.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$7.93 ZMW 139

13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$3.89 ZMW 67.9

119.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$4.80 ZMW 83.9

190.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$2.41 ZMW 42.18

31.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$1.54 ZMW 26.85

84.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$2.63 ZMW 45.99

12.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$1.13 ZMW 19.80

292.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$1.99 ZMW 34.80

23.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$1.35 ZMW 23.60

60.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$0.95 ZMW 16.63

141.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$0.53 ZMW 9.21

196.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$2.30 ZMW 40.17

1242.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$10.92 ZMW 191

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$0.92 ZMW 16.06

394.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$1.30 ZMW 22.66

270.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$1.00 ZMW 17.51

187.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$40.46 ZMW 707

136.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$2.52 ZMW 44.09

44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$1.02 ZMW 17.86

72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$8.99 ZMW 157

325.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.19 ZMW 20.81

-3.36%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$8,057 ZMW 140.8K

252.16%

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

$23.0K A$32.5K

$28.7K ZMW 501.3K

-19.80%

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

$178 A$251

$83.9 ZMW 1,467

112.06%

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

$26.46 A$37.38

$51.2 ZMW 894

-48.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$127 ZMW 2,228

-57.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$41.48 ZMW 725

12.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$13.87 ZMW 242

19.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$4.11 ZMW 71.8

232.12%

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

$1,575 A$2,225

$179 ZMW 3,127

780.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$9,699 ZMW 169.5K

30.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$19.38 ZMW 339

268.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$17.23 ZMW 301

194.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$79.3 ZMW 1,386

26.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$73.6 ZMW 1,287

46.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$208 ZMW 3,644

563.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$130 ZMW 2,275

749.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$871 ZMW 15.2K

163.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$695 ZMW 12.1K

148.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$1,987 ZMW 34.7K

283.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$5,987 ZMW 104.7K

-8.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$349 ZMW 6,105

1045.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

-74.60%

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

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zambia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $22.00 in Zambia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $226 in Lusaka.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $342 in Zambia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5500% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 600% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1240% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1024% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs Zambia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zambia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 402% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Zambia, contributing to the overall 402% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zambia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Zambia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.