Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Chingola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Chingola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $428 in Chingola.

Lisbon $2,202
Chingola $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $731 in Chingola.

Lisbon $3,274
Chingola $731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,033 in Chingola.

Lisbon $4,346
Chingola $1,033

Living in Lisbon is roughly 414% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Chingola is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$15.26 ZMW 304

11.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$25.50 ZMW 507

144.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

336.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

370.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

460.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

204.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

-33.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

-37.90%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

120.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$5.11 ZMW 102

54.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

289.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

14.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

-11.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

-5.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

28.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

-38.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

27.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

335.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

120.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

170.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

81.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$10.17 ZMW 202

68.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

63.43%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

$49.29 ZMW 980

232.34%

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$9.97 ZMW 198

360.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$20.29 ZMW 404

411.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$12.36 ZMW 246

273.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

98.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

64.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

-70.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$112 ZMW 2,223

1331.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 1331% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $163 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

14:29 2:29 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

210,073

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Chingola 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Chingola

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Lisbon vs Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 414% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1331% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $428 in Chingola versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Chingola are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 414% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.