Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $860 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$860

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $860 per month in Lusaka vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Lusaka $860
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $1,472 per month in Lusaka vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Lusaka $1,472
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $2,084 per month in Lusaka vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Lusaka $2,084
Budapest $3,488

Lusaka is about 48% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lusaka sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 ZMW 111

$13.63 Ft 4,407

-59.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 ZMW 611

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

-50.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ZMW 98.0

$10.02 Ft 3,239

-51.80%

Cappuccino

$2.91 ZMW 59.1

$3.33 Ft 1,075

-12.61%

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

$0.72 ZMW 14.50

$2.12 Ft 684

-66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 9.07

$1.80 Ft 581

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZMW 24.71

$3.61 Ft 1,166

-66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ZMW 44.25

$3.59 Ft 1,160

-39.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ZMW 34.80

$1.12 Ft 361

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ZMW 24.19

$1.93 Ft 623

-38.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 ZMW 40.46

$2.49 Ft 804

-19.68%

Eggs

$1.94 ZMW 39.38

$3.94 Ft 1,275

-50.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ZMW 207

$11.28 Ft 3,646

-9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ZMW 123

$6.73 Ft 2,177

-9.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.24 ZMW 126

$14.44 Ft 4,670

-56.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ZMW 65.6

$1.86 Ft 601

73.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 49.58

$2.04 Ft 658

20.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 ZMW 66.9

$2.29 Ft 740

44.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ZMW 30.16

$3.99 Ft 1,290

-62.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ZMW 52.0

$0.94 Ft 304

173.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZMW 37.34

$1.02 Ft 330

80.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZMW 22.33

$1.65 Ft 534

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ZMW 15.57

$0.68 Ft 221

13.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ZMW 59.4

$7.81 Ft 2,526

-62.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 ZMW 200

$6.02 Ft 1,946

63.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZMW 27.78

$1.29 Ft 418

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ZMW 44.78

$2.02 Ft 655

9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ZMW 19.52

$1.50 Ft 484

-36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 ZMW 1,223

$27.13 Ft 8,769

122.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ZMW 49.28

$3.36 Ft 1,085

-27.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 ZMW 30.70

$1.37 Ft 444

10.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 ZMW 99.3

$19.96 Ft 6,451

-75.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ZMW 29.75

$1.86 Ft 603

-20.97%

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

$7,434 ZMW 150.7K

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

-73.93%

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

$25.3K ZMW 512.9K

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

-24.20%

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

$70.3 ZMW 1,426

$178 Ft 57.6K

-60.52%

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

$10.39 ZMW 211

$23.58 Ft 7,623

-55.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 ZMW 1,098

$24.12 Ft 7,797

124.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 ZMW 1,073

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

-24.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ZMW 299

$17.03 Ft 5,505

-13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ZMW 119

$10.48 Ft 3,388

-44.18%

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

$148 ZMW 3,009

$625 Ft 202.1K

-76.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K ZMW 413.4K

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

3.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 ZMW 504

$102 Ft 33.0K

-75.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.32 ZMW 351

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

-60.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.96 ZMW 911

$110 Ft 35.5K

-59.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 ZMW 1,345

$121 Ft 39.0K

-44.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 ZMW 7,869

$845 Ft 273.3K

-54.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,581

$638 Ft 206.4K

-72.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 ZMW 21.8K

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

-33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 ZMW 11.9K

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

-51.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,929 ZMW 39.1K

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

-65.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,657 ZMW 175.5K

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

122.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$364 ZMW 7,370

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

-78.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

357.41%

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

Last update for Lusaka: November 1, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$232 27%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 12% $28

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$177 20.5%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 261% $462

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$135 15.7%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 67.4% $91

Eating Out

Lusaka

$108 12.6%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 103% $112

Getting Around

Lusaka

$74 8.6%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 41.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$69 8%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 145% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$65 7.5%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 40.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $388 in Lusaka versus $845 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Lusaka versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $260 – making Lusaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

1 h behind Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.93 USD

100 ZMW = 4.39 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 20.27 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.93 USD). 1 EUR = 22.75 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.39 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lusaka Budapest 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,290 per month in Lusaka and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lusaka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $388 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $148 per month in Lusaka and $625 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Lusaka, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Lusaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lusaka – 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 Lusaka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.