Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabwe and Chingola

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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Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$567

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kabwe and in Chingola

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

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

Kabwe $567
Chingola $421

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

Kabwe $899
Chingola $715

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

Kabwe $1,232
Chingola $1,010

Living in Kabwe is roughly 35% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 ZMW 113

$14.78 ZMW 299

-62.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.24 ZMW 611

$24.36 ZMW 492

24.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 ZMW 102

Cappuccino

$2.72 ZMW 55.0

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

$0.76 ZMW 15.45

$0.49 ZMW 9.88

55.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 9.14

$0.34 ZMW 6.85

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ZMW 25.28

$0.57 ZMW 11.57

119.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.82

$1.21 ZMW 24.40

87.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZMW 33.59

$1.72 ZMW 34.79

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ZMW 24.53

$1.15 ZMW 23.19

5.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 42.29

$2.42 ZMW 48.80

-13.64%

Eggs

$1.18 ZMW 23.92

$1.82 ZMW 36.69

-35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ZMW 209

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 ZMW 130

$5.19 ZMW 105

23.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 130

$4.36 ZMW 88.1

47.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

$2.03 ZMW 40.91

59.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ZMW 19.28

$1.96 ZMW 39.55

-51.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ZMW 73.3

$2.03 ZMW 40.99

78.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 31.04

$1.97 ZMW 39.81

-21.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ZMW 51.9

$2.89 ZMW 58.4

-11.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZMW 37.19

$1.47 ZMW 29.70

25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ZMW 22.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 15.07

$0.81 ZMW 16.42

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ZMW 61.1

$1.46 ZMW 29.56

107.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 ZMW 196

$4.90 ZMW 98.9

98.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZMW 28.31

$0.63 ZMW 12.72

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.77

$0.72 ZMW 14.57

222.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ZMW 51.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 ZMW 29.80

$0.58 ZMW 11.62

155.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ZMW 97.9

$9.86 ZMW 199

-50.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ZMW 27.59

$1.32 ZMW 26.75

3.79%

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)

$78.5 ZMW 1,586

$50.6 ZMW 1,023

55.12%

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)

$22.90 ZMW 463

$20.03 ZMW 405

14.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.36 ZMW 310

$12.37 ZMW 250

24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.90 ZMW 907

$49.22 ZMW 994

-8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ZMW 1,441

$74.4 ZMW 1,502

-4.07%

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 Kabwe: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kabwe

$224 39.6%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabwe

$143 25.3%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Kabwe

$108 19.1%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kabwe

$70 12.3%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8%

Chingola

–

Accommodation & Living

Kabwe

- * 0%

Chingola

–

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

Same time as Kabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,517

210,073

💱 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

Kabwe Chingola 220 km

From you

Kabwe
Chingola

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

Kabwe vs Chingola: 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 $850 in Kabwe and $631 in Chingola 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.