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 $2,181 per month in Australia vs $277 in Zambia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $476 in Zambia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $674 in Zambia, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 687% higher than in Zambia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Zambia is 79% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.66

$6.96 ZMW 130

129.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$22.88 ZMW 427

245.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.74

$3.72 ZMW 69.3

160.22%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.08

$1.93 ZMW 35.99

85.49%

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

$2.56 A$3.64

$0.66 ZMW 12.37

287.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.36 ZMW 6.66

516.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

$0.86 ZMW 16.05

637.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

$1.43 ZMW 26.65

386.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.28 ZMW 23.94

21.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$0.80 ZMW 14.96

216.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.83

$1.73 ZMW 32.22

15.61%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.05

$1.54 ZMW 28.64

176.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.42

$7.80 ZMW 145

12.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$3.93 ZMW 73.2

109.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.08

$4.99 ZMW 93.1

183.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$2.29 ZMW 42.70

42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.48 ZMW 27.60

89.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$2.61 ZMW 48.62

14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$1.15 ZMW 21.40

274.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.98 ZMW 36.93

28.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.40 ZMW 26.12

54.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.91 ZMW 16.96

143.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$0.57 ZMW 10.64

168.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.38

$2.23 ZMW 41.67

1302.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

$10.39 ZMW 194

35.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

$0.86 ZMW 16.10

416.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

$1.27 ZMW 23.70

285.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.19

$0.97 ZMW 18.05

204.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$136

$39.60 ZMW 739

142.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.95

$2.44 ZMW 45.42

43.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.61

$1.03 ZMW 19.16

78.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$52.9

$9.26 ZMW 173

302.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$1.24 ZMW 23.20

-5.65%

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

$28.7K A$40.8K

$8,062 ZMW 150.3K

256.45%

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

$22.5K A$31.9K

$28.9K ZMW 538.7K

-22.23%

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

$173 A$246

$85.8 ZMW 1,600

102.05%

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

$26.62 A$37.77

$50.3 ZMW 938

-47.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.3

$126 ZMW 2,358

-58.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$66.4

$42.48 ZMW 792

10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.25

$13.87 ZMW 259

18.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.24

$4.11 ZMW 76.6

229.93%

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

$1,571 A$2,229

$175 ZMW 3,270

795.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.9K

$9,770 ZMW 182.2K

28.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$102

$19.37 ZMW 361

272.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$73.2

$17.65 ZMW 329

192.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$77.8 ZMW 1,451

29.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$72.8 ZMW 1,358

48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,984

$215 ZMW 4,009

550.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,541

$129 ZMW 2,401

743.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,223

$851 ZMW 15.9K

167.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,485

$696 ZMW 13.0K

151.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.3K

$4,105 ZMW 76.6K

93.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,483

$7,467 ZMW 139.3K

-19.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,751

$379 ZMW 7,069

969.20%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zambia: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $22.00 in Zambia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $225 in Lusaka.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $347 in Zambia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5491% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 600% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1240% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 997% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 407% 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 407% 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.