Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Zambia Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Zambia

Name: Zambia
Address: ZM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,217 per month in Canada vs $276 in Zambia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,254 per month in Canada vs $548 in Zambia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Canada vs $820 in Zambia, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 703% higher than in Zambia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 61% above the global median, while Zambia is 80% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 CA$25.35

$6.91 ZMW 133

164.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$98.8

$31.38 ZMW 604

126.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.20

$5.31 ZMW 102

106.40%

Cappuccino

$3.95 CA$5.47

$3.10 ZMW 59.7

27.42%

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

$2.07 CA$2.88

$0.80 ZMW 15.31

158.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.49 ZMW 9.47

255.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.23

$1.27 ZMW 24.52

366.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.89

$2.52 ZMW 48.52

125.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.83 ZMW 35.17

21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.76

$1.27 ZMW 24.36

113.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.16

$2.44 ZMW 46.96

52.46%

Eggs

$3.61 CA$5.01

$1.88 ZMW 36.19

92.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$14.99

$10.64 ZMW 205

1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 CA$16.95

$6.54 ZMW 126

86.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 CA$21.75

$6.46 ZMW 124

142.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.89

$3.60 ZMW 69.2

18.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$2.21 ZMW 42.63

-35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.57

$3.59 ZMW 69.1

11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.67

$1.53 ZMW 29.49

167.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.72

$2.84 ZMW 54.6

-5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$1.95 ZMW 37.49

25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.70

$1.23 ZMW 23.74

117.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$0.73 ZMW 14.13

146.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.05

$2.90 ZMW 55.9

398.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CA$18.84

$10.28 ZMW 198

32.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$1.37 ZMW 26.28

107.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.52

$2.10 ZMW 40.41

55.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.41

$1.06 ZMW 20.36

132.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 CA$104

$52.9 ZMW 1,018

42.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.37

$2.60 ZMW 50.0

21.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$1.72 ZMW 33.13

-10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 CA$38.21

$9.20 ZMW 177

199.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.46 ZMW 28.12

-20.55%

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

$28.4K CA$39.3K

$6,647 ZMW 127.9K

326.80%

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

$19.5K CA$27.0K

$39.0K ZMW 751.1K

-50.11%

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

$155 CA$215

$94.1 ZMW 1,812

64.54%

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

$43.47 CA$60.3

$11.58 ZMW 223

275.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CA$83.8

$61.1 ZMW 1,176

-1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 CA$57.1

$52.6 ZMW 1,012

-21.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 CA$27.45

$17.29 ZMW 333

14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 CA$15.98

$6.96 ZMW 134

65.66%

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

$786 CA$1,089

$146 ZMW 2,817

436.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.6K

$16.6K ZMW 319.9K

-10.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.3

$25.28 ZMW 487

117.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.25 CA$57.2

$15.33 ZMW 295

169.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 CA$122

$61.4 ZMW 1,182

43.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$77.7 ZMW 1,496

36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 CA$1,797

$449 ZMW 8,652

188.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,619

$178 ZMW 3,436

554.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,835

$1,086 ZMW 20.9K

88.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 CA$2,467

$729 ZMW 14.0K

144.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,786 CA$6,638

$3,987 ZMW 76.8K

20.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,973 CA$5,510

$6,500 ZMW 125.1K

-38.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 CA$4,270

$432 ZMW 8,308

613.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

26.25

-81.49%

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

Last update for Canada: September 8, 2026

Last update for Zambia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,228 in Canada vs $110 in Zambia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,496 in Ottawa and $384 in Lusaka.

Average salary: $2,981 in Canada vs $346 in Zambia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1016% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 408% more in Canada.

Public transport is 1900% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 762% higher in Canada.

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

Canada vs Zambia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zambia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 417% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Zambia, contributing to the overall 417% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zambia, but in Canada 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.