Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Chilanga

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

28

Cost of Living Index in Chilanga
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Chilanga Living Index

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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zambia

$586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Livingstone and in Chilanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $199 in Livingstone versus $586 in Chilanga.

Livingstone $199
Chilanga $586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $367 in Livingstone versus $929 in Chilanga.

Livingstone $367
Chilanga $929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $535 in Livingstone versus $1,273 in Chilanga.

Livingstone $535
Chilanga $1,273

Living in Livingstone costs roughly 66% less than in Chilanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Livingstone 85% lower, Chilanga 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ZMW 153

$5.59 ZMW 113

35.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ZMW 611

$29.76 ZMW 599

1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 ZMW 176

$5.16 ZMW 104

68.99%

Cappuccino

$4.88 ZMW 98.2

$2.85 ZMW 57.5

71.23%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.71

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.78

$0.48 ZMW 9.74

-29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ZMW 25.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ZMW 45.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.70

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 ZMW 42.67

Eggs

$2.00 ZMW 40.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ZMW 205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ZMW 125

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 ZMW 128

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ZMW 67.4

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ZMW 49.74

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 ZMW 72.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ZMW 30.34

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 ZMW 50.5

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 ZMW 37.46

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 23.15

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ZMW 62.1

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ZMW 400

$9.92 ZMW 200

100.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZMW 29.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ZMW 46.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ZMW 51.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 ZMW 49.93

$1.47 ZMW 29.65

68.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ZMW 99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZMW 31.19

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

$7,460 ZMW 150.2K

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

$27.6K ZMW 556.8K

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

$81.3 ZMW 1,637

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

$10.26 ZMW 207

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 ZMW 1,103

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ZMW 123

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

$136 ZMW 2,731

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 331.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.34 ZMW 470

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.13 ZMW 305

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.44 ZMW 915

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 ZMW 1,487

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Livingstone: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Chilanga

$236 40.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Chilanga

$146 25%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Chilanga

$110 18.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Chilanga

$71 12.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Chilanga

$9.9 * 1.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Livingstone vs $30 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $40 vs $236 per month, with Livingstone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

Same time as Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

107,051

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.97 USD

100 ZMW = 4.45 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.97 USD

100 ZMW = 4.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Livingstone Chilanga 360 km

From you

Livingstone
Chilanga

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

Livingstone vs Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $199 in Livingstone and $586 in Chilanga, so Livingstone is about 66% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $298 in Livingstone and $879 in Chilanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 494% higher in Chilanga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $199 per month in Livingstone versus $586 in Chilanga – Livingstone is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Livingstone gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.