Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Ndola

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $202 a month against $719 in Ndola, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ndola
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Ndola Living Index

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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$202

/mo nomad

Ndola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Livingstone and in Ndola

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

A single person spends $202 per month in Livingstone vs $719 in Ndola, rent included.

Livingstone $202
Ndola $719

A couple spends around $369 per month in Livingstone vs $1,721 in Ndola, rent included.

Livingstone $369
Ndola $1,721

A family of three spends $536 per month in Livingstone vs $2,723 in Ndola, rent included.

Livingstone $536
Ndola $2,723

Livingstone is about 72% cheaper than Ndola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Livingstone and Ndola are more affordable than the global median – Livingstone 85% lower, Ndola 47% 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

$30.02 ZMW 597

-1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 ZMW 177

$5.00 ZMW 99.4

78.40%

Cappuccino

$5.10 ZMW 101

$2.76 ZMW 54.8

84.78%

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

$0.52 ZMW 10.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.67

$0.24 ZMW 4.73

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZMW 24.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ZMW 44.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ZMW 32.92

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ZMW 23.56

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ZMW 42.31

Eggs

$1.56 ZMW 31.07

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ZMW 202

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ZMW 123

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ZMW 133

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ZMW 29.27

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ZMW 48.00

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 ZMW 74.3

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.72

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ZMW 50.4

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 35.84

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZMW 21.93

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ZMW 11.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ZMW 61.5

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 ZMW 401

$9.83 ZMW 196

104.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZMW 28.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ZMW 46.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZMW 14.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ZMW 51.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 ZMW 51.3

$1.53 ZMW 30.41

68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZMW 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.78

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

$7,392 ZMW 147.0K

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

$26.9K ZMW 534.7K

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

$80.2 ZMW 1,596

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

$10.45 ZMW 208

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 ZMW 1,098

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ZMW 120

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

$135 ZMW 2,692

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ZMW 324.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.64 ZMW 470

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.39 ZMW 306

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.69 ZMW 909

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ZMW 1,421

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,526

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ZMW 2,948

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 ZMW 7,365

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ZMW 29.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 ZMW 11.9K

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 Ndola: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$223 31.1%

Accommodation & Living

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$148 20.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$146 20.3%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$106 14.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$70 9.8%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$13 * 1.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Ndola

$12 * 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 $29.00 in Livingstone versus $30.00 in Ndola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40.00 vs $223 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇿🇲 Ndola

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

Same time as Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

455,194

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Livingstone Ndola 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Livingstone
Ndola

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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $202 in Livingstone, $719 in Ndola – roughly 256% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $303 per month in Livingstone and $1,079 in Ndola. 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 Ndola. 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 $719 in Ndola. That's a gap of about 256%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $202 in Livingstone and $719 in Ndola, 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, Ndola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.