Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Kabwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $567 in Kabwe, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Livingstone and in Kabwe

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

A single person spends $199 per month in Livingstone vs $567 in Kabwe, rent included.

Livingstone $199
Kabwe $567

A couple spends around $367 per month in Livingstone vs $899 in Kabwe, rent included.

Livingstone $367
Kabwe $899

A family of three spends $535 per month in Livingstone vs $1,232 in Kabwe, rent included.

Livingstone $535
Kabwe $1,232

Livingstone is about 65% cheaper than Kabwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Livingstone and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Livingstone 85% lower, Kabwe 58% 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 613

$30.24 ZMW 611

0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 ZMW 176

$5.03 ZMW 102

73.36%

Cappuccino

$4.88 ZMW 98.5

$2.72 ZMW 54.9

79.41%

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

$0.76 ZMW 15.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.80

$0.45 ZMW 9.13

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ZMW 25.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZMW 33.57

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ZMW 24.51

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 42.27

Eggs

$1.18 ZMW 23.91

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ZMW 209

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 ZMW 130

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 129

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ZMW 19.27

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ZMW 73.2

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 31.02

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ZMW 51.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZMW 37.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ZMW 22.85

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 15.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ZMW 61.1

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ZMW 401

$9.71 ZMW 196

104.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZMW 28.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ZMW 51.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

$1.48 ZMW 29.78

67.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ZMW 97.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ZMW 27.58

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

$7,409 ZMW 149.6K

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

$27.2K ZMW 548.9K

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

$78.5 ZMW 1,585

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

$10.37 ZMW 209

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 2,761

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K ZMW 331.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.90 ZMW 462

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 1,440

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 Kabwe: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Kabwe

$224 39.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Kabwe

$143 25.3%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Kabwe

$108 19.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Kabwe

$70 12.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8%

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 Livingstone versus $30 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40 vs $224 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

Same time as Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

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

Livingstone Kabwe 470 km

From you

Livingstone
Kabwe

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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabwe costs about 185% more than Livingstone, 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 $298 per month in Livingstone and $850 in Kabwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $199 in Livingstone and $567 in Kabwe. That makes Livingstone about 65% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 464% more in Kabwe, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $199 in Livingstone and $567 in Kabwe, 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 $567 in Kabwe. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.