Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $133 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $47,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

196

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index

Jump to prices

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Zimba

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $133 in Zimba, rent included.

London $4,086
Zimba $133

A couple spends around $5,816 per month in London vs $207 in Zimba, rent included.

London $5,816
Zimba $207

A family of three spends $7,546 per month in London vs $280 in Zimba, rent included.

London $7,546
Zimba $280

London costs about 2962% more than Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

London sits 205% above the global median, while Zimba is 90% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.62 £20.11

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 £7.85

$3.08 ZMW 61.0

237.34%

Cappuccino

$5.79 £4.38

$1.48 ZMW 29.44

291.22%

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

$3.01 £2.27

$0.73 ZMW 14.50

312.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 £1.63

$0.36 ZMW 7.14

497.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.35 £7.06

$0.75 ZMW 14.81

1146.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 £5.93

$1.04 ZMW 20.57

653.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.35

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 £1.56

$1.02 ZMW 20.26

101.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 £1.74

$1.54 ZMW 30.50

50.00%

Eggs

$5.05 £3.82

$1.29 ZMW 25.64

291.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 £9.50

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 £8.05

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 £12.94

$3.57 ZMW 70.7

379.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.29

$1.80 ZMW 35.74

68.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.07

$1.56 ZMW 30.93

-9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 £2.31

$3.10 ZMW 61.6

-1.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.56

$0.79 ZMW 15.59

327.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.26

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 £1.31

$0.79 ZMW 15.70

118.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.07

$0.82 ZMW 16.29

71.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.35

$0.49 ZMW 9.69

265.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.22 £17.55

Wine (Bottle)

$12.99 £9.82

$6.21 ZMW 123

109.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.40

$0.79 ZMW 15.76

302.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 £3.33

$1.04 ZMW 20.57

324.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 £2.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$250 £189

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 £4.31

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 £2.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.9 £43.76

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.54

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

$37.5K £28.4K

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

$40.9K £30.9K

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

$376 £284

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

$17.88 £13.51

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.01 £30.24

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 £46.22

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.07 £15.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.95 £13.57

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

$2,865 £2,165

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £87.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 £40.87

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £95.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £120

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 £2,156

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 £1,739

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,201 £3,931

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,723 £2,813

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.0K £14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,881 £5,955

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,818 £3,641

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Zimba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.5%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$434 10.7%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

London

$397 9.7%

Zimba

–

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.6%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

London

$288 7.1%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

London

$97 2.4%

Zimba

–

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

12:28 12:28 PM

1 h ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.22 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Zimba 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

London
Zimba

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

London vs Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $133 in Zimba – roughly 2962% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $200 in Zimba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $133 in Zimba. That's a gap of about 2962%.

Groceries cost about 263% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zimba, where all-in costs run around $133, than in London at $4,086. In Zimba it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $133 in Zimba to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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