Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabwe and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabwe: $567 a month against $863 in Lusaka, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Kabwe
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Kabwe Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$567

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kabwe and in Lusaka

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

A single person spends $567 per month in Kabwe vs $863 in Lusaka, rent included.

Kabwe $567
Lusaka $863

A couple spends around $899 per month in Kabwe vs $1,470 in Lusaka, rent included.

Kabwe $899
Lusaka $1,470

A family of three spends $1,232 per month in Kabwe vs $2,077 in Lusaka, rent included.

Kabwe $1,232
Lusaka $2,077

Kabwe is about 34% cheaper than Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kabwe and Lusaka are more affordable than the global median – Kabwe 58% lower, Lusaka 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 ZMW 113

$5.52 ZMW 111

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.24 ZMW 611

$29.61 ZMW 598

2.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 ZMW 102

$5.04 ZMW 102

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ZMW 55.0

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

$0.76 ZMW 15.45

$0.72 ZMW 14.56

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 9.14

$0.46 ZMW 9.26

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ZMW 25.28

$1.22 ZMW 24.62

2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.82

$2.21 ZMW 44.59

2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZMW 33.59

$1.65 ZMW 33.38

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ZMW 24.53

$1.16 ZMW 23.47

4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 42.29

$2.06 ZMW 41.64

1.46%

Eggs

$1.18 ZMW 23.92

$1.89 ZMW 38.28

-37.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ZMW 209

$10.16 ZMW 205

1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 ZMW 130

$6.17 ZMW 125

4.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 130

$6.40 ZMW 129

0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

$3.36 ZMW 67.9

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ZMW 19.28

$2.35 ZMW 47.38

-59.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ZMW 73.3

$3.57 ZMW 72.2

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 31.04

$1.48 ZMW 29.92

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ZMW 51.9

$2.50 ZMW 50.6

2.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZMW 37.19

$1.85 ZMW 37.30

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ZMW 22.86

$1.15 ZMW 23.28

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 15.07

$0.79 ZMW 15.96

-5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ZMW 61.1

$2.95 ZMW 59.6

2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 ZMW 196

$10.05 ZMW 203

-3.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZMW 28.31

$1.40 ZMW 28.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.77

$2.32 ZMW 46.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ZMW 20.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.76 ZMW 1,005

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ZMW 51.1

$2.49 ZMW 50.3

1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 ZMW 29.80

$1.51 ZMW 30.56

-1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ZMW 97.9

$4.84 ZMW 97.8

0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ZMW 27.59

$1.47 ZMW 29.65

-6.80%

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

$7,409 ZMW 149.7K

$7,422 ZMW 149.9K

-0.18%

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

$27.2K ZMW 549.2K

$27.4K ZMW 552.9K

-0.67%

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

$78.5 ZMW 1,586

$79.4 ZMW 1,605

-1.15%

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

$10.37 ZMW 210

$10.10 ZMW 204

2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 ZMW 1,095

$54.4 ZMW 1,098

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ZMW 1,076

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 ZMW 304

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ZMW 118

$6.04 ZMW 122

-3.15%

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

$137 ZMW 2,762

$138 ZMW 2,784

-0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K ZMW 331.1K

$16.5K ZMW 333.1K

-0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.90 ZMW 463

$23.41 ZMW 473

-2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.36 ZMW 310

$15.49 ZMW 313

-0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.90 ZMW 907

$44.53 ZMW 900

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ZMW 1,441

$71.2 ZMW 1,439

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,685

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ZMW 3,611

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 ZMW 22.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ZMW 11.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ZMW 39.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,025 ZMW 101.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$307 ZMW 6,211

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 Lusaka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kabwe

$224 39.6%

Lusaka

$234 27.2% 4.3% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabwe

$143 25.3%

Lusaka

$144 16.7% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Kabwe

$108 19.1%

Lusaka

$107 12.4% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Kabwe

$70 12.3%

Lusaka

$70 8.1% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Lusaka

$65 7.6% 458% $54

Getting Around

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8%

Lusaka

$64 7.4% 545% $54

Accommodation & Living

Kabwe

- * 0%

Lusaka

$179 20.7%

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 Lusaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $234 – making Kabwe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

Same time as Kabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,517

1,742,979 Capital

💱 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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Kabwe Lusaka 110 km

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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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka costs about 52% more than Kabwe, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,294 in Lusaka. 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 $863 in Lusaka. That makes Kabwe about 34% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Lusaka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kabwe, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Lusaka at $863. In Kabwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lusaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lusaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $567 in Kabwe to $863 in Lusaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.