Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and Kafue

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $421 a month against $564 in Kafue, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kafue
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Kafue Living Index

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Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$421

/mo nomad

Kafue

🇿🇲 Zambia

$564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chingola and in Kafue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $421 in Chingola versus $564 in Kafue.

Chingola $421
Kafue $564

Estimated couple costs with rent: $718 in Chingola versus $902 in Kafue.

Chingola $718
Kafue $902

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,015 in Chingola versus $1,239 in Kafue.

Chingola $1,015
Kafue $1,239

Living in Chingola costs roughly 25% less than in Kafue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 ZMW 305

$5.37 ZMW 109

180.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.63 ZMW 498

$29.41 ZMW 595

-16.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ZMW 102

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 57.8

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

$0.48 ZMW 9.63

$0.72 ZMW 14.46

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.78

$0.48 ZMW 9.68

-29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 ZMW 11.39

$1.22 ZMW 24.74

-54.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ZMW 24.85

$2.27 ZMW 45.83

-45.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ZMW 35.51

$1.68 ZMW 33.91

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ZMW 22.86

$1.16 ZMW 23.53

-2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 49.47

$2.01 ZMW 40.56

21.89%

Eggs

$1.76 ZMW 35.56

$1.94 ZMW 39.24

-9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ZMW 206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ZMW 105

$6.17 ZMW 125

-15.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.38 ZMW 88.6

$6.62 ZMW 134

-33.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ZMW 39.24

$3.38 ZMW 68.4

-42.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ZMW 40.27

$2.36 ZMW 47.77

-15.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ZMW 39.01

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

-40.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ZMW 39.21

$1.54 ZMW 31.11

25.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ZMW 60.6

$2.60 ZMW 52.6

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ZMW 30.48

$1.77 ZMW 35.77

-14.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 22.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ZMW 17.28

$0.71 ZMW 14.45

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ZMW 30.56

$3.01 ZMW 60.9

-49.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.86 ZMW 98.2

$9.92 ZMW 201

-51.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ZMW 12.17

$1.37 ZMW 27.78

-56.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ZMW 14.55

$2.27 ZMW 45.92

-68.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ZMW 49.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ZMW 12.19

$1.44 ZMW 29.03

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.81 ZMW 198

$5.01 ZMW 101

95.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ZMW 26.77

$1.46 ZMW 29.57

-9.59%

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

$7,396 ZMW 149.5K

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

$24.7K ZMW 499.7K

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

$48.53 ZMW 981

$69.0 ZMW 1,394

-29.64%

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

$10.75 ZMW 217

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ZMW 1,083

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.03 ZMW 203

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ZMW 118

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

$145 ZMW 2,940

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K ZMW 414.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.11 ZMW 407

$24.90 ZMW 504

-19.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.32 ZMW 249

$17.39 ZMW 352

-29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.63 ZMW 983

$44.90 ZMW 908

8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 ZMW 1,516

$65.1 ZMW 1,317

15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K ZMW 296.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$110 ZMW 2,216

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Chingola: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kafue: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

Kafue

$233 41.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

Kafue

$133 23.6%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

Kafue

$108 19.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

Kafue

$69 12.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

Kafue

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

Kafue

$9.6 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

Kafue

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Chingola vs $29 in Kafue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $233 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇿🇲 Kafue

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

104,174

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chingola Kafue 360 km

From you

Chingola
Kafue

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 Kafue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is about 25% 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 $632 in Chingola and $846 in Kafue 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 45% higher in Kafue. 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 $25 versus $29 in Kafue. 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.