Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $872 in Lusaka versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

Lusaka $872
Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Lusaka versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

Lusaka $1,488
Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Lusaka versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

Lusaka $2,103
Barcelona $4,431

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 63% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lusaka is 36% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

$17.89 €15.92

-68.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.94 ZMW 595

$66.2 €58.9

-54.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

$13.69 €12.18

-63.55%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

$3.06 €2.72

-7.19%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

$3.07 €2.73

-74.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

$1.94 €1.73

-76.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

$3.87 €3.44

-67.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

$4.61 €4.10

-50.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

$1.30 €1.16

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

$2.10 €1.87

-44.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

$1.83 €1.62

9.84%

Eggs

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

$4.62 €4.11

-57.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 ZMW 209

$17.36 €15.44

-39.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 ZMW 126

$9.28 €8.25

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 131

$19.83 €17.64

-66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

$3.01 €2.68

9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

$2.03 €1.81

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

$2.65 €2.36

38.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

$2.87 €2.55

-45.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

$2.16 €1.92

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

$2.15 €1.91

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

$1.47 €1.31

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

$0.88 €0.79

-15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

$6.93 €6.16

-57.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 ZMW 201

$7.83 €6.96

28.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

$1.39 €1.24

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

$2.63 €2.34

-11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

$2.91 €2.59

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 ZMW 995

$25.46 €22.64

96.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

$3.00 €2.66

-18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

$1.44 €1.28

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

$33.20 €29.53

-84.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

$1.86 €1.65

-18.82%

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

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

$32.3K €28.8K

-76.37%

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

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

$31.7K €28.2K

-12.21%

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

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

$183 €163

-55.28%

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

$10.28 ZMW 204

$13.61 €12.11

-24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

$32.93 €29.29

65.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

$54.7 €48.65

0.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$16.52 €14.70

-7.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ZMW 120

$11.23 €9.99

-46.30%

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

$139 ZMW 2,774

$954 €849

-85.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

$16.6K €14.8K

-0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.04 ZMW 458

$86.0 €76.5

-73.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.19 ZMW 302

$39.11 €34.78

-61.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.38 ZMW 903

$104 €92.2

-56.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

$119 €106

-38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,564

$1,695 €1,508

-77.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,513

$1,276 €1,135

-86.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

$2,576 €2,291

-58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ZMW 11.8K

$1,922 €1,710

-69.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

$7,281 €6,477

-73.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

$5,010 €4,456

0.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$316 ZMW 6,290

$2,227 €1,981

-85.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

784.15%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$238 27.3%

Barcelona

$325 13.7% 36.8% $87

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$177 20.3%

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6% 623% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$146 16.8%

Barcelona

$229 9.6% 56.7% $83

Eating Out

Lusaka

$110 12.6%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 146% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8.1%

Barcelona

$156 6.6% 122% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Barcelona

$77 3.2% 14.9% $10

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Barcelona

$47 2% 26% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Lusaka and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 604% 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: $30.00 in Lusaka vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $325 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

Same time as Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lusaka Barcelona 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Barcelona

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

Lusaka vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Barcelona differ by about 173% in total monthly costs ($872 vs $2,381 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 604% lower in Barcelona. 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: $380 in Lusaka versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $139 in Lusaka versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $872 in Lusaka versus $2,381 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 173% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.