Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $202 a month against $872 in Lusaka, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$202

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $202 per month in Livingstone vs $872 in Lusaka, rent included.

Livingstone $202
Lusaka $872

A couple spends around $369 per month in Livingstone vs $1,488 in Lusaka, rent included.

Livingstone $369
Lusaka $1,488

A family of three spends $536 per month in Livingstone vs $2,103 in Lusaka, rent included.

Livingstone $536
Lusaka $2,103

Livingstone is about 77% cheaper than Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Livingstone and Lusaka are more affordable than the global median – Livingstone 85% lower, Lusaka 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 ZMW 148

$5.58 ZMW 111

32.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.48 ZMW 586

$29.94 ZMW 595

-1.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 ZMW 177

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

78.76%

Cappuccino

$5.10 ZMW 101

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

79.58%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.67

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

-26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

Eggs

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 ZMW 209

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 ZMW 126

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 131

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 ZMW 401

$10.09 ZMW 201

99.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 ZMW 995

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 ZMW 51.3

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

69.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

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

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

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

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

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

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

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

$10.28 ZMW 204

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ZMW 120

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

$139 ZMW 2,774

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.04 ZMW 458

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.19 ZMW 302

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.38 ZMW 903

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,564

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,513

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ZMW 11.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$316 ZMW 6,290

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 19, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$238 27.3%

Accommodation & Living

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$177 20.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$146 16.8%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$110 12.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$70 8.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Livingstone versus $30.00 in Lusaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40.00 vs $238 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

Same time as Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

1,742,979 Capital

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Livingstone Lusaka 370 km

From you

Livingstone
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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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $202 in Livingstone, $872 in Lusaka – roughly 332% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $303 per month in Livingstone and $1,308 in Lusaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Livingstone and $30.00 in Lusaka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $202 in Livingstone and $872 in Lusaka. That's a gap of about 332%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $202 in Livingstone and $872 in Lusaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Livingstone – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Livingstone. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lusaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.