Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Lusaka versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,489 in Lusaka versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Lusaka versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 63% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lusaka is 35% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 ZMW 127

$17.58 €15.12

-59.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.96 ZMW 446

$68.4 €58.9

-63.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 ZMW 64.8

$14.06 €12.09

-74.18%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ZMW 35.86

$2.78 €2.39

-27.70%

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

$0.73 ZMW 13.05

$2.80 €2.41

-73.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.04

$2.06 €1.78

-83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ZMW 17.05

$4.46 €3.84

-78.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ZMW 32.42

$4.61 €3.96

-60.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ZMW 22.53

$1.24 €1.07

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ZMW 13.16

$2.03 €1.74

-63.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 28.26

$1.92 €1.65

-17.71%

Eggs

$1.77 ZMW 31.65

$3.31 €2.85

-46.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ZMW 140

$18.43 €15.85

-57.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.83 ZMW 68.4

$9.49 €8.16

-59.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 ZMW 81.6

$19.16 €16.48

-76.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 ZMW 44.69

$2.64 €2.27

-5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 28.28

$2.45 €2.11

-35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 ZMW 47.96

$2.12 €1.82

26.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ZMW 20.91

$2.85 €2.45

-58.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ZMW 33.43

$2.04 €1.75

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ZMW 24.63

$1.85 €1.59

-25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ZMW 15.54

$1.47 €1.26

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZMW 9.30

$0.84 €0.73

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ZMW 45.39

$7.14 €6.14

-64.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 ZMW 195

$7.88 €6.78

38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ZMW 20.24

$1.38 €1.19

-18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ZMW 26.75

$2.31 €1.99

-35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ZMW 17.11

$2.98 €2.56

-67.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.24 ZMW 683

$29.26 €25.17

30.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 ZMW 49.72

$4.60 €3.95

-39.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ZMW 20.50

$2.07 €1.78

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 ZMW 159

$29.18 €25.10

-69.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ZMW 21.29

$1.84 €1.58

-35.33%

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

$7,968 ZMW 142.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-79.58%

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

$28.4K ZMW 506.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

-13.18%

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

$90.1 ZMW 1,608

$188 €162

-52.04%

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

$53.6 ZMW 956

$22.93 €19.73

133.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$127 ZMW 2,263

$36.71 €31.58

245.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.11 ZMW 805

$57.4 €49.35

-21.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 ZMW 250

$20.70 €17.80

-32.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 ZMW 76.6

$11.19 €9.63

-61.66%

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

$177 ZMW 3,161

$721 €620

-75.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,528 ZMW 170.1K

$15.0K €12.9K

-36.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.25 ZMW 344

$86.2 €74.2

-77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.27 ZMW 308

$37.07 €31.89

-53.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 ZMW 1,535

$102 €87.8

-15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 ZMW 1,316

$116 €99.7

-36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 ZMW 4,007

$1,534 €1,319

-85.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 ZMW 2,148

$1,220 €1,050

-90.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 ZMW 18.8K

$2,696 €2,319

-60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ZMW 10.4K

$2,013 €1,732

-70.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 ZMW 35.2K

$7,220 €6,211

-72.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,281 ZMW 76.4K

$5,189 €4,463

-17.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$296 ZMW 5,286

$2,359 €2,029

-87.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

637.46%

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

Last update for Lusaka: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Lusaka and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 697% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Lusaka vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $318 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

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

Lusaka vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Barcelona differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $2,367 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 697% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $224 in Lusaka versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Lusaka versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Lusaka versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lusaka and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.