Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Kafue

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $198 a month against $564 in Kafue, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$198

/mo nomad

Kafue

🇿🇲 Zambia

$564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Livingstone and in Kafue

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

A single person spends $198 per month in Livingstone vs $564 in Kafue, rent included.

Livingstone $198
Kafue $564

A couple spends around $366 per month in Livingstone vs $902 in Kafue, rent included.

Livingstone $366
Kafue $902

A family of three spends $533 per month in Livingstone vs $1,239 in Kafue, rent included.

Livingstone $533
Kafue $1,239

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 ZMW 149

$5.37 ZMW 109

37.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.19 ZMW 611

$29.41 ZMW 595

2.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ZMW 175

$5.04 ZMW 102

72.22%

Cappuccino

$4.97 ZMW 101

$2.86 ZMW 57.8

73.78%

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

$0.72 ZMW 14.46

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ZMW 7.42

$0.48 ZMW 9.68

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZMW 24.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.83

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ZMW 33.91

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ZMW 23.53

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 40.56

Eggs

$1.94 ZMW 39.24

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ZMW 206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ZMW 125

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 ZMW 134

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ZMW 68.4

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 ZMW 47.77

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 ZMW 65.5

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 31.11

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 ZMW 52.6

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ZMW 35.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ZMW 22.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ZMW 14.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ZMW 60.9

Wine (Bottle)

$19.93 ZMW 403

$9.92 ZMW 201

100.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZMW 27.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 45.92

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ZMW 49.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 ZMW 50.2

$1.44 ZMW 29.03

72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 ZMW 101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ZMW 29.57

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

$7,396 ZMW 149.5K

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

$24.7K ZMW 499.7K

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

$69.0 ZMW 1,394

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

$10.75 ZMW 217

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ZMW 1,083

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ZMW 118

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

$145 ZMW 2,940

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K ZMW 414.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.90 ZMW 504

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.39 ZMW 352

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.90 ZMW 908

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 ZMW 1,317

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Livingstone: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kafue: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Kafue

$233 41.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Kafue

$133 23.6%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Kafue

$108 19.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Kafue

$69 12.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Kafue

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Kafue

$9.6 * 1.7%

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 Livingstone versus $29 in Kafue. Groceries tell a different story – $40 in Livingstone vs $233 in Kafue – so Livingstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇿🇲 Kafue

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

Same time as Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

104,174

💱 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

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Between locations

Livingstone Kafue 340 km

From you

Livingstone
Kafue

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 Kafue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $198 in Livingstone, $564 in Kafue – Livingstone comes out roughly 65% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $298 per month in Livingstone and $846 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Livingstone and $29 in Kafue. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $198 in Livingstone and $564 in Kafue. That makes Livingstone about 65% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $198 in Livingstone and $564 in Kafue, 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 $198 in Livingstone to $564 in Kafue. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.