Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and Kabwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $421 a month against $567 in Kabwe, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kabwe
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Kabwe Living Index

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Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$421

/mo nomad

Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chingola and in Kabwe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $421 in Chingola versus $567 in Kabwe.

Chingola $421
Kabwe $567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $715 in Chingola versus $899 in Kabwe.

Chingola $715
Kabwe $899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,010 in Chingola versus $1,232 in Kabwe.

Chingola $1,010
Kabwe $1,232

Living in Chingola costs roughly 26% less than in Kabwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chingola 69% lower, Kabwe 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 ZMW 299

$5.59 ZMW 113

164.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.36 ZMW 492

$30.24 ZMW 611

-19.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 ZMW 102

Cappuccino

$2.72 ZMW 55.0

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

$0.49 ZMW 9.88

$0.76 ZMW 15.45

-35.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.85

$0.45 ZMW 9.14

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 ZMW 11.57

$1.25 ZMW 25.28

-54.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 ZMW 24.40

$2.27 ZMW 45.82

-46.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ZMW 34.79

$1.66 ZMW 33.59

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ZMW 23.19

$1.21 ZMW 24.53

-4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ZMW 48.80

$2.09 ZMW 42.29

15.79%

Eggs

$1.82 ZMW 36.69

$1.18 ZMW 23.92

54.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ZMW 209

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ZMW 105

$6.43 ZMW 130

-19.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.36 ZMW 88.1

$6.41 ZMW 130

-31.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ZMW 40.91

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

-37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 ZMW 39.55

$0.95 ZMW 19.28

106.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ZMW 40.99

$3.63 ZMW 73.3

-44.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 ZMW 39.81

$1.54 ZMW 31.04

27.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ZMW 58.4

$2.57 ZMW 51.9

12.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ZMW 29.70

$1.84 ZMW 37.19

-20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ZMW 22.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ZMW 16.42

$0.75 ZMW 15.07

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.46 ZMW 29.56

$3.03 ZMW 61.1

-51.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 ZMW 98.9

$9.71 ZMW 196

-49.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ZMW 12.72

$1.40 ZMW 28.31

-55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ZMW 14.57

$2.32 ZMW 46.77

-68.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ZMW 51.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ZMW 11.62

$1.48 ZMW 29.80

-60.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 ZMW 199

$4.85 ZMW 97.9

103.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ZMW 26.75

$1.37 ZMW 27.59

-3.65%

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

$7,409 ZMW 149.7K

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

$27.2K ZMW 549.2K

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

$50.6 ZMW 1,023

$78.5 ZMW 1,586

-35.53%

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

$10.37 ZMW 210

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 ZMW 1,095

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.87 ZMW 199

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ZMW 118

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

$137 ZMW 2,762

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K ZMW 331.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.03 ZMW 405

$22.90 ZMW 463

-12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.37 ZMW 250

$15.36 ZMW 310

-19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.22 ZMW 994

$44.90 ZMW 907

9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ZMW 1,502

$71.3 ZMW 1,441

4.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K ZMW 295.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$108 ZMW 2,183

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 24, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

Kabwe

$224 39.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

Kabwe

$143 25.3%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

Kabwe

$108 19.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

Kabwe

$70 12.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8%

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

Kabwe

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in Chingola vs $30 in Kabwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $224 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

Same time as Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

117,517

💱 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

Chingola Kabwe 220 km

From you

Chingola
Kabwe

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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $631 in Chingola and $850 in Kabwe 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 40% higher in Kabwe. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $24 versus $30 in Kabwe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.