Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabwe and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $131 a month against $567 in Kabwe, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Kabwe
Learn more

Kabwe Living Index

Jump to prices

Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$567

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kabwe and in Zimba

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

A single person spends $567 per month in Kabwe vs $131 in Zimba, rent included.

Kabwe $567
Zimba $131

A couple spends around $899 per month in Kabwe vs $205 in Zimba, rent included.

Kabwe $899
Zimba $205

A family of three spends $1,232 per month in Kabwe vs $278 in Zimba, rent included.

Kabwe $1,232
Zimba $278

Kabwe costs about 332% more than Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kabwe and Zimba are more affordable than the global median – Kabwe 58% lower, Zimba 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 ZMW 113

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.24 ZMW 611

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 ZMW 102

$3.08 ZMW 62.3

63.31%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ZMW 55.0

$1.53 ZMW 30.91

77.78%

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

$0.76 ZMW 15.45

$0.78 ZMW 15.83

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 9.14

$0.34 ZMW 6.82

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ZMW 25.28

$0.79 ZMW 15.89

58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.82

$0.98 ZMW 19.89

131.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZMW 33.59

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ZMW 24.53

$0.98 ZMW 19.86

23.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 42.29

$1.52 ZMW 30.62

37.50%

Eggs

$1.18 ZMW 23.92

$1.27 ZMW 25.73

-7.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ZMW 209

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 ZMW 130

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 130

$3.57 ZMW 72.1

79.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

$1.70 ZMW 34.42

90.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ZMW 19.28

$1.47 ZMW 29.73

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ZMW 73.3

$3.00 ZMW 60.6

21.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 31.04

$0.73 ZMW 14.74

110.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ZMW 51.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZMW 37.19

$0.77 ZMW 15.53

138.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ZMW 22.86

$0.81 ZMW 16.35

39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 15.07

$0.52 ZMW 10.44

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ZMW 61.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 ZMW 196

$5.91 ZMW 119

64.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZMW 28.31

$0.76 ZMW 15.37

84.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.77

$0.99 ZMW 19.98

134.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ZMW 51.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 ZMW 29.80

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 Zimba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kabwe

$224 39.6%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabwe

$143 25.3%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Kabwe

$108 19.1%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kabwe

$70 12.3%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8%

Zimba

–

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

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

Same time as Kabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,517

💱 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 Zimba 400 km

From you

Kabwe
Zimba

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabwe costs about 332% more than Zimba, 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 $197 in Zimba. 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 $131 in Zimba. That makes Zimba about 77% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 141% more in Kabwe, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $567 in Kabwe and $131 in Zimba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.