Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and Chilanga

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.

28

Cost of Living Index in Chilanga
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Chilanga Living Index

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Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zambia

$585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chingola and in Chilanga

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

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

Chingola $428
Chilanga $585

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

Chingola $731
Chilanga $928

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

Chingola $1,033
Chilanga $1,271

Living in Chingola costs roughly 27% less than in Chilanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 ZMW 304

$5.65 ZMW 112

170.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.50 ZMW 507

$29.59 ZMW 589

-13.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ZMW 102

Cappuccino

$2.76 ZMW 54.9

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

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

$0.74 ZMW 14.64

-29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

$0.48 ZMW 9.57

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

$1.23 ZMW 24.49

-50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

$2.31 ZMW 46.00

-46.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

$1.70 ZMW 33.83

3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

$1.17 ZMW 23.22

2.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

$2.10 ZMW 41.80

18.10%

Eggs

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

$1.92 ZMW 38.10

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ZMW 204

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ZMW 102

$6.36 ZMW 126

-19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

$6.65 ZMW 132

-31.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

$3.44 ZMW 68.5

-42.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

$2.37 ZMW 47.19

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

$3.56 ZMW 70.8

-43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

$1.51 ZMW 29.94

31.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

$2.49 ZMW 49.46

21.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

$1.79 ZMW 35.65

-13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 21.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

$0.79 ZMW 15.67

11.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

$2.95 ZMW 58.7

-47.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

$9.91 ZMW 197

-49.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

$1.42 ZMW 28.20

-56.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$2.33 ZMW 46.41

-66.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 ZMW 50.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

$1.47 ZMW 29.24

-60.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 ZMW 202

$4.87 ZMW 96.9

108.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

$1.48 ZMW 29.40

-9.46%

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)

$49.29 ZMW 980

$80.1 ZMW 1,592

-38.43%

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)

$20.29 ZMW 404

$23.71 ZMW 472

-14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.36 ZMW 246

$15.19 ZMW 302

-18.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

$45.76 ZMW 910

9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

$71.2 ZMW 1,415

6.62%

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 Chingola: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

Chilanga

$237 40.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

Chilanga

$146 25%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

Chilanga

$109 18.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

Chilanga

$70 12%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

Chilanga

$9.9 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

Chilanga

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🕒 Local time

16:31 4:31 PM

Same time as Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chingola Chilanga 340 km

From you

Chingola
Chilanga

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

Chingola vs Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $642 in Chingola and $877 in Chilanga 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 $428 per month in Chingola versus $585 in Chilanga – 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.