Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $585 in Chilanga, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chilanga
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Chilanga Living Index

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Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zambia

$585

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chilanga and in Chingola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chilanga and in Chingola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $585 in Chilanga versus $428 in Chingola.

Chilanga $585
Chingola $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $928 in Chilanga versus $731 in Chingola.

Chilanga $928
Chingola $731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,271 in Chilanga versus $1,033 in Chingola.

Chilanga $1,271
Chingola $1,033

Living in Chilanga is roughly 37% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chilanga 57% lower, Chingola 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.65 ZMW 112

$15.26 ZMW 304

-62.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.59 ZMW 589

$25.50 ZMW 507

16.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ZMW 102

Cappuccino

$2.76 ZMW 54.9

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

$0.74 ZMW 14.64

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

42.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZMW 9.57

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ZMW 24.49

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

101.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ZMW 46.00

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

87.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ZMW 33.83

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.22

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

-2.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ZMW 41.80

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

-15.32%

Eggs

$1.92 ZMW 38.10

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ZMW 204

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 ZMW 126

$5.11 ZMW 102

24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ZMW 132

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

46.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 ZMW 68.5

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

73.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ZMW 47.19

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 ZMW 70.8

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

77.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ZMW 29.94

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

-24.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 ZMW 49.46

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

-17.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.65

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

16.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 21.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.67

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

-10.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ZMW 58.7

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

91.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 ZMW 197

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

99.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.20

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

129.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ZMW 46.41

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

198.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 ZMW 50.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 ZMW 29.24

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

153.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 ZMW 96.9

$10.17 ZMW 202

-52.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ZMW 29.40

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

10.45%

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

$7,420 ZMW 147.6K

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

$27.4K ZMW 544.4K

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

$80.1 ZMW 1,592

$49.29 ZMW 980

62.41%

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

$10.46 ZMW 208

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 ZMW 1,110

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.97 ZMW 198

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 ZMW 120

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

$139 ZMW 2,768

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ZMW 331.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.71 ZMW 472

$20.29 ZMW 404

16.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.19 ZMW 302

$12.36 ZMW 246

22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.76 ZMW 910

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

-9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ZMW 1,415

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

-6.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$112 ZMW 2,223

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Chilanga: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chilanga

$237 40.5%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chilanga

$146 25%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Chilanga

$109 18.7%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chilanga

$70 12%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Chilanga

$9.9 * 1.7%

Chingola

–

Accommodation & Living

Chilanga

- * 0%

Chingola

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Chilanga vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $163 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

Same time as Chilanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,051

210,073

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chilanga Chingola 340 km

From you

Chilanga
Chingola

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

Chilanga vs Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chilanga and Chingola differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($585 vs $428 including rent). Chingola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $877 in Chilanga and $642 in Chingola 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $30.00 in Chilanga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $585 per month in Chilanga versus $428 in Chingola – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Chingola gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Chilanga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.