Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and Ndola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $719 in Ndola, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ndola
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Ndola Living Index

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Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Ndola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chingola and in Ndola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Chingola versus $719 in Ndola.

Chingola $428
Ndola $719

Estimated couple costs with rent: $731 in Chingola versus $1,721 in Ndola.

Chingola $731
Ndola $1,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,033 in Chingola versus $2,723 in Ndola.

Chingola $1,033
Ndola $2,723

Living in Chingola costs roughly 40% less than in Ndola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chingola 68% lower, Ndola 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 ZMW 304

$5.58 ZMW 111

173.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.50 ZMW 507

$30.02 ZMW 597

-15.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ZMW 99.4

Cappuccino

$2.76 ZMW 54.8

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

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

$0.52 ZMW 10.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

$0.24 ZMW 4.73

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

$1.22 ZMW 24.31

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

$2.21 ZMW 44.02

-44.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

$1.65 ZMW 32.92

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

$1.18 ZMW 23.56

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

$2.13 ZMW 42.31

16.43%

Eggs

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

$1.56 ZMW 31.07

17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ZMW 202

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ZMW 102

$6.18 ZMW 123

-17.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

$6.71 ZMW 133

-32.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

$1.47 ZMW 29.27

34.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

$2.41 ZMW 48.00

-17.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

$3.74 ZMW 74.3

-46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

$1.54 ZMW 30.72

29.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

$2.53 ZMW 50.4

19.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

$1.80 ZMW 35.84

-14.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZMW 21.93

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

$0.58 ZMW 11.60

51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

$3.09 ZMW 61.5

-50.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

$9.83 ZMW 196

-49.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

$1.46 ZMW 28.97

-57.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$2.35 ZMW 46.73

-66.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZMW 14.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ZMW 51.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

$1.53 ZMW 30.41

-62.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 ZMW 202

$5.03 ZMW 100

102.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

$1.35 ZMW 26.78

-0.74%

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

$7,392 ZMW 147.0K

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

$26.9K ZMW 534.7K

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

$49.29 ZMW 980

$80.2 ZMW 1,596

-38.57%

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

$10.45 ZMW 208

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 ZMW 1,098

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.97 ZMW 198

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ZMW 120

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

$135 ZMW 2,692

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ZMW 324.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.29 ZMW 404

$23.64 ZMW 470

-14.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.36 ZMW 246

$15.39 ZMW 306

-19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

$45.69 ZMW 909

10.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

$71.4 ZMW 1,421

6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,526

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ZMW 2,948

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 ZMW 7,365

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ZMW 29.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$112 ZMW 2,223

$596 ZMW 11.9K

-81.25%

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 Ndola: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

Ndola

$223 31.1%

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

Ndola

$148 20.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

Ndola

$146 20.3%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

Ndola

$106 14.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

Ndola

$70 9.8%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

Ndola

$13 * 1.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

Ndola

$12 * 1.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Ndola pays 433% 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: $26.00 in Chingola vs $30.00 in Ndola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $223 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇿🇲 Ndola

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

Same time as Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

455,194

💱 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 Ndola 96 km

From you

Chingola
Ndola

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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 433% lower in Ndola. 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 37% higher in Ndola. 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 $26.00 versus $30.00 in Ndola. 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.

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 68% less than in Ndola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.