Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabwe and Livingstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $567 in Kabwe, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kabwe and in Livingstone

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

A single person spends $567 per month in Kabwe vs $199 in Livingstone, rent included.

Kabwe $567
Livingstone $199

A couple spends around $899 per month in Kabwe vs $367 in Livingstone, rent included.

Kabwe $899
Livingstone $367

A family of three spends $1,232 per month in Kabwe vs $535 in Livingstone, rent included.

Kabwe $1,232
Livingstone $535

Kabwe costs about 185% more than Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kabwe and Livingstone are more affordable than the global median – Kabwe 58% lower, Livingstone 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 ZMW 113

$7.57 ZMW 153

-26.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.24 ZMW 611

$30.35 ZMW 613

-0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 ZMW 102

$8.72 ZMW 176

-42.32%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ZMW 55.0

$4.88 ZMW 98.5

-44.26%

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

$0.76 ZMW 15.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 9.14

$0.34 ZMW 6.80

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ZMW 25.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZMW 33.59

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ZMW 24.53

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 42.29

Eggs

$1.18 ZMW 23.92

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ZMW 209

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 ZMW 130

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 130

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ZMW 19.28

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ZMW 73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 31.04

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ZMW 51.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZMW 37.19

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ZMW 22.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 15.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ZMW 61.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 ZMW 196

$19.88 ZMW 402

-51.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZMW 28.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ZMW 51.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 ZMW 29.80

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

-40.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ZMW 97.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ZMW 27.59

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

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

$10.37 ZMW 210

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 ZMW 1,095

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.36 ZMW 310

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.90 ZMW 907

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ZMW 1,441

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 Livingstone: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kabwe

$224 39.6%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabwe

$143 25.3%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Kabwe

$108 19.1%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kabwe

$70 12.3%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8%

Livingstone

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Kabwe versus $30 in Livingstone. Groceries tell a different story – $224 in Kabwe vs $40 in Livingstone – so Livingstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

Same time as Kabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,517

136,897

💱 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

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Between locations

Kabwe Livingstone 470 km

From you

Kabwe
Livingstone

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabwe costs about 185% more than Livingstone, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $850 per month in Kabwe and $298 in Livingstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $567 in Kabwe and $199 in Livingstone. That makes Livingstone about 65% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 464% more in Kabwe, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $567 in Kabwe and $199 in Livingstone, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Livingstone has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $199 in Livingstone to $567 in Kabwe. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.