Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $132 a month against $592 in Chilanga, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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

$592

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chilanga and in Zimba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $592 in Chilanga versus $132 in Zimba.

Chilanga $592
Zimba $132

Estimated couple costs with rent: $941 in Chilanga versus $206 in Zimba.

Chilanga $941
Zimba $206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,290 in Chilanga versus $281 in Zimba.

Chilanga $1,290
Zimba $281

Living in Chilanga is roughly 347% more expensive than in Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chilanga 56% lower, Zimba 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.68 ZMW 113

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.64 ZMW 610

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ZMW 99.5

$3.00 ZMW 59.7

66.67%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 56.9

$1.48 ZMW 29.35

93.24%

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

$0.80 ZMW 15.85

$0.79 ZMW 15.67

1.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.21

$0.34 ZMW 6.69

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ZMW 24.63

$0.73 ZMW 14.45

69.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ZMW 44.19

$1.03 ZMW 20.54

115.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ZMW 34.30

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.46

$0.99 ZMW 19.75

24.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ZMW 42.58

$1.55 ZMW 30.83

38.06%

Eggs

$2.01 ZMW 39.92

$1.33 ZMW 26.48

51.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ZMW 211

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 ZMW 125

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 132

$3.52 ZMW 69.9

87.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ZMW 68.3

$1.73 ZMW 34.47

98.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 ZMW 47.42

$1.50 ZMW 29.87

58.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ZMW 74.0

$3.11 ZMW 61.8

19.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.59

$0.79 ZMW 15.74

94.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 ZMW 52.5

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 35.83

$0.73 ZMW 14.61

146.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 22.01

$0.87 ZMW 17.33

27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ZMW 15.11

$0.53 ZMW 10.48

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ZMW 61.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 ZMW 205

$6.03 ZMW 120

71.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 ZMW 28.40

$0.79 ZMW 15.64

81.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ZMW 47.15

$1.00 ZMW 19.84

137.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ZMW 51.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 ZMW 30.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 ZMW 104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ZMW 29.91

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

$7,599 ZMW 151.1K

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

$27.6K ZMW 549.7K

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

$82.5 ZMW 1,640

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

$10.31 ZMW 205

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,082

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ZMW 124

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

$140 ZMW 2,786

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ZMW 330.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.42 ZMW 466

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.73 ZMW 313

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.76 ZMW 890

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

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 11, 2026

Last update for Zimba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chilanga

$241 40.7%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chilanga

$147 24.9%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Chilanga

$110 18.7%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chilanga

$71 11.9%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Chilanga

$10 * 1.7%

Zimba

–

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

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

Same time as Chilanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,051

💱 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

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Chilanga Zimba 300 km

From you

Chilanga
Zimba

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chilanga and Zimba differ by about 347% in total monthly costs ($592 vs $132 including rent). Zimba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $887 in Chilanga and $198 in Zimba 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 152% higher in Chilanga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $592 per month in Chilanga versus $132 in Zimba – a 347% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Zimba 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 Zimba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 347% less than in Chilanga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.