Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kafue and Livingstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $586 in Kafue, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kafue
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Kafue Living Index

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Kafue

🇿🇲 Zambia

$586

/mo nomad

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kafue 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 Kafue and in Livingstone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $586 per month in Kafue vs $199 in Livingstone, rent included.

Kafue $586
Livingstone $199

A couple spends around $932 per month in Kafue vs $367 in Livingstone, rent included.

Kafue $932
Livingstone $367

A family of three spends $1,277 per month in Kafue vs $535 in Livingstone, rent included.

Kafue $1,277
Livingstone $535

Kafue costs about 195% more than Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kafue and Livingstone are more affordable than the global median – Kafue 57% lower, Livingstone 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ZMW 112

$7.57 ZMW 153

-26.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.48 ZMW 616

$30.35 ZMW 614

0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ZMW 103

$8.72 ZMW 176

-41.40%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ZMW 56.0

$4.88 ZMW 98.6

-43.24%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZMW 9.95

$0.34 ZMW 6.81

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ZMW 24.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.91

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ZMW 35.44

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.94

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 ZMW 41.27

Eggs

$1.89 ZMW 38.31

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 ZMW 212

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 ZMW 127

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 ZMW 133

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ZMW 66.9

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 ZMW 50.4

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 ZMW 72.2

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ZMW 30.72

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 ZMW 52.2

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 36.39

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 22.48

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ZMW 61.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 ZMW 205

$19.88 ZMW 402

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ZMW 29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ZMW 47.03

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ZMW 50.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 ZMW 29.46

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

-41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 ZMW 103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ZMW 30.95

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

$7,420 ZMW 150.0K

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

$27.8K ZMW 563.1K

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

$81.8 ZMW 1,653

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

$10.49 ZMW 212

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 ZMW 1,092

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ZMW 123

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

$140 ZMW 2,827

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ZMW 330.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.10 ZMW 467

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.54 ZMW 314

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.21 ZMW 914

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 ZMW 1,469

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kafue: 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

Kafue

$239 40.8%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kafue

$146 25%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Kafue

$109 18.5%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kafue

$70 12%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kafue

$12 * 2.1%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Kafue

$9.8 * 1.7%

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 Kafue versus $30 in Livingstone. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Kafue vs $40 in Livingstone – so Livingstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kafue

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Kafue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,174

136,897

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kafue Livingstone 340 km

From you

Kafue
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

Kafue vs Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $586 in Kafue, $199 in Livingstone – Livingstone comes out roughly 66% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $879 per month in Kafue 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 $586 in Kafue and $199 in Livingstone. That makes Livingstone about 66% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 500% more in Kafue, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $586 in Kafue 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 $586 in Kafue. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.