Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kafue and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kafue: $586 a month against $863 in Lusaka, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Kafue
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Kafue Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Kafue

🇿🇲 Zambia

$586

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $586 per month in Kafue vs $863 in Lusaka, rent included.

Kafue $586
Lusaka $863

A couple spends around $932 per month in Kafue vs $1,470 in Lusaka, rent included.

Kafue $932
Lusaka $1,470

A family of three spends $1,277 per month in Kafue vs $2,077 in Lusaka, rent included.

Kafue $1,277
Lusaka $2,077

Kafue is about 32% cheaper than Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kafue and Lusaka are more affordable than the global median – Kafue 57% lower, Lusaka 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ZMW 112

$5.52 ZMW 111

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.48 ZMW 616

$29.61 ZMW 598

2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ZMW 103

$5.04 ZMW 102

1.39%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ZMW 55.9

$2.72 ZMW 55.0

1.84%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.53

$0.72 ZMW 14.56

6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZMW 9.94

$0.46 ZMW 9.26

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ZMW 24.51

$1.22 ZMW 24.62

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.86

$2.21 ZMW 44.59

2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ZMW 35.40

$1.65 ZMW 33.38

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.91

$1.16 ZMW 23.47

6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 ZMW 41.23

$2.06 ZMW 41.64

-0.97%

Eggs

$1.89 ZMW 38.27

$1.89 ZMW 38.28

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 ZMW 211

$10.16 ZMW 205

2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 ZMW 127

$6.17 ZMW 125

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 ZMW 133

$6.40 ZMW 129

2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ZMW 66.8

$3.36 ZMW 67.9

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 ZMW 50.4

$2.35 ZMW 47.38

5.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 ZMW 72.2

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ZMW 30.69

$1.48 ZMW 29.92

2.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 ZMW 52.1

$2.50 ZMW 50.6

3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 36.36

$1.85 ZMW 37.30

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 22.46

$1.15 ZMW 23.28

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.85

$0.79 ZMW 15.96

-1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ZMW 61.3

$2.95 ZMW 59.6

3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 ZMW 205

$10.05 ZMW 203

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ZMW 29.14

$1.40 ZMW 28.33

2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ZMW 46.98

$2.32 ZMW 46.91

0.43%

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)

$2.50 ZMW 50.4

$2.49 ZMW 50.3

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 ZMW 29.43

$1.51 ZMW 30.56

-3.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 ZMW 103

$4.84 ZMW 97.8

4.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ZMW 30.92

$1.47 ZMW 29.65

4.08%

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

$7,420 ZMW 149.9K

$7,422 ZMW 149.9K

-0.03%

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

$27.8K ZMW 562.5K

$27.4K ZMW 552.9K

1.74%

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

$81.8 ZMW 1,651

$79.4 ZMW 1,605

2.92%

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

$10.49 ZMW 212

$10.10 ZMW 204

3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 ZMW 1,091

$54.4 ZMW 1,098

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ZMW 1,076

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 ZMW 304

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ZMW 123

$6.04 ZMW 122

0.66%

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

$140 ZMW 2,824

$138 ZMW 2,784

1.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ZMW 329.7K

$16.5K ZMW 333.1K

-1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.10 ZMW 467

$23.41 ZMW 473

-1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.54 ZMW 314

$15.49 ZMW 313

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.21 ZMW 913

$44.53 ZMW 900

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 ZMW 1,468

$71.2 ZMW 1,439

1.99%

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 Kafue: 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

Kafue

$239 40.8%

Lusaka

$234 27.2% 1.9% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kafue

$146 25%

Lusaka

$144 16.7% 1.6% $2.3

Eating Out

Kafue

$109 18.5%

Lusaka

$107 12.4% 1.3% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Kafue

$70 12%

Lusaka

$70 8.1% 1.2% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kafue

$12 * 2.1%

Lusaka

$65 7.6% 437% $53

Getting Around

Kafue

$9.8 * 1.7%

Lusaka

$64 7.4% 553% $54

Accommodation & Living

Kafue

- * 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 Kafue versus $30 in Lusaka. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Kafue vs $234 in Lusaka – so Lusaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kafue

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

Same time as Kafue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,174

1,742,979 Capital

💱 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 Lusaka 41 km

From you

Kafue
Lusaka

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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $586 in Kafue, $863 in Lusaka – Kafue comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $879 per month in Kafue 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 $586 in Kafue and $863 in Lusaka. That makes Kafue about 32% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $140 per month in Kafue and $138 in Lusaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $586 in Kafue and $863 in Lusaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lusaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $586 in Kafue to $863 in Lusaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.