Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Livingstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $586 in Chilanga, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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

$586

/mo nomad

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chilanga and in Livingstone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $586 in Chilanga versus $199 in Livingstone.

Chilanga $586
Livingstone $199

Estimated couple costs with rent: $929 in Chilanga versus $367 in Livingstone.

Chilanga $929
Livingstone $367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,273 in Chilanga versus $535 in Livingstone.

Chilanga $1,273
Livingstone $535

Living in Chilanga is roughly 195% more expensive than in Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chilanga 57% lower, Livingstone 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 ZMW 113

$7.57 ZMW 153

-26.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.76 ZMW 601

$30.35 ZMW 613

-1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 ZMW 104

$8.72 ZMW 176

-40.83%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ZMW 57.6

$4.88 ZMW 98.5

-41.60%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.75

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZMW 9.76

$0.34 ZMW 6.80

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ZMW 25.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ZMW 46.05

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.78

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 ZMW 42.78

Eggs

$2.00 ZMW 40.30

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ZMW 206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ZMW 125

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 ZMW 128

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ZMW 67.6

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ZMW 49.86

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 ZMW 72.3

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ZMW 30.42

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 ZMW 50.7

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 ZMW 37.56

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 23.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 16.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ZMW 62.2

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 ZMW 200

$19.88 ZMW 401

-50.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZMW 29.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ZMW 47.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ZMW 51.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 ZMW 29.72

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

-40.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ZMW 99.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZMW 31.26

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

$7,460 ZMW 150.6K

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

$27.6K ZMW 558.2K

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

$81.3 ZMW 1,641

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

$10.26 ZMW 207

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 ZMW 1,106

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ZMW 123

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

$136 ZMW 2,738

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 332.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.34 ZMW 471

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.13 ZMW 306

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.44 ZMW 918

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 ZMW 1,491

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 24, 2026

Last update for Livingstone: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chilanga

$236 40.3%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chilanga

$146 25%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Chilanga

$110 18.9%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chilanga

$71 12.1%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Chilanga

$9.9 * 1.7%

Livingstone

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Chilanga vs $30 in Livingstone. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $40, with Livingstone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

Same time as Chilanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,051

136,897

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chilanga Livingstone 360 km

From you

Chilanga
Livingstone

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $586 in Chilanga and $199 in Livingstone, so Livingstone is about 66% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $879 in Chilanga and $298 in Livingstone 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 494% higher in Chilanga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $586 per month in Chilanga versus $199 in Livingstone – Livingstone is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Livingstone 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.