Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $435 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $43,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

196

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index

Jump to prices

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$435

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chingola and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $435 in Chingola versus $4,086 in London.

Chingola $435
London $4,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $734 in Chingola versus $5,816 in London.

Chingola $734
London $5,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,034 in Chingola versus $7,546 in London.

Chingola $1,034
London $7,546

Living in Chingola costs roughly 89% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chingola is 68% below, London is 205% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.93 ZMW 296

$26.62 £20.11

-43.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.97 ZMW 495

$108 £81.3

-76.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 £7.85

Cappuccino

$5.79 £4.38

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

$0.53 ZMW 10.57

$3.01 £2.27

-82.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.73

$2.15 £1.63

-84.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 ZMW 11.70

$9.35 £7.06

-93.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ZMW 24.90

$7.84 £5.93

-83.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ZMW 35.71

$1.79 £1.35

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.16

$2.06 £1.56

-43.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 ZMW 50.6

$2.31 £1.74

10.39%

Eggs

$1.86 ZMW 36.97

$5.05 £3.82

-63.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 £9.50

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 ZMW 103

$10.66 £8.05

-51.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.60 ZMW 91.2

$17.13 £12.94

-73.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ZMW 40.59

$3.03 £2.29

-32.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ZMW 39.38

$1.41 £1.07

41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.91

$3.05 £2.31

-34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ZMW 41.23

$3.38 £2.56

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 ZMW 59.7

$1.67 £1.26

80.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ZMW 29.35

$1.73 £1.31

-14.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ZMW 17.80

$1.79 £1.35

-49.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 ZMW 30.67

$23.22 £17.55

-93.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ZMW 101

$12.99 £9.82

-60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ZMW 11.85

$3.18 £2.40

-81.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.69

$4.41 £3.33

-82.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 £2.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$250 £189

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 £4.31

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ZMW 12.53

$3.33 £2.51

-81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 ZMW 203

$57.9 £43.76

-82.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.71

$2.04 £1.54

-33.82%

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

$37.5K £28.4K

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

$40.9K £30.9K

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

$50.0 ZMW 992

$376 £284

-86.70%

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

$17.88 £13.51

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.01 £30.24

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.28 ZMW 204

$61.2 £46.22

-83.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.07 £15.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.95 £13.57

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

$2,865 £2,165

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.68 ZMW 410

$116 £87.7

-82.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.65 ZMW 251

$54.1 £40.87

-76.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.5 ZMW 1,001

$127 £95.7

-60.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ZMW 1,488

$159 £120

-52.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 £2,156

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 £1,739

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,201 £3,931

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,723 £2,813

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.0K £14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.3K ZMW 302.9K

$7,881 £5,955

93.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$110 ZMW 2,180

$4,818 £3,641

-97.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

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

Last update for Chingola: October 6, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

London

$2.3K 56.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

London

$434 10.7%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

London

$397 9.7%

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

London

$349 8.6%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

London

$288 7.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

London

$205 5%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

London

$97 2.4%

Cost Breakdown

London pays 4282% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Chingola vs $108 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $349 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

1 h behind Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.22 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chingola London 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chingola
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 839% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4282% lower in London. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in London. 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 $25.00 versus $108 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $435 in Chingola versus $4,086 in London, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 839% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.