Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Burgas

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $1,219 in Burgas, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Burgas
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Burgas Living Index

Jump to prices

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Burgas

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Burgas

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

A single person spends $876 per month in Lusaka vs $1,219 in Burgas, rent included.

Lusaka $876
Burgas $1,219

A couple spends around $1,497 per month in Lusaka vs $1,841 in Burgas, rent included.

Lusaka $1,497
Burgas $1,841

A family of three spends $2,117 per month in Lusaka vs $2,463 in Burgas, rent included.

Lusaka $2,117
Burgas $2,463

Lusaka is about 28% cheaper than Burgas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lusaka and Burgas are more affordable than the global median – Lusaka 35% lower, Burgas 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

$13.91 BGN 24.21

-59.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.94 ZMW 595

$46.33 BGN 80.6

-35.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

$11.82 BGN 20.57

-57.78%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

$3.43 BGN 5.97

-17.20%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-25.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

$0.75 BGN 1.31

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

$1.97 BGN 3.43

-35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

$2.90 BGN 5.04

-20.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

$1.66 BGN 2.89

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

$1.03 BGN 1.79

13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

$2.02 BGN 3.52

-0.50%

Eggs

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

$3.28 BGN 5.71

-40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 ZMW 209

$10.02 BGN 17.44

4.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 ZMW 126

$8.91 BGN 15.50

-28.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 131

$11.69 BGN 20.34

-43.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

$2.27 BGN 3.95

45.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

$1.96 BGN 3.41

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

$2.12 BGN 3.70

72.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

$2.48 BGN 4.31

-36.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

$1.61 BGN 2.80

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

$1.44 BGN 2.51

24.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

$0.92 BGN 1.60

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

$0.87 BGN 1.51

-14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

$3.46 BGN 6.02

-15.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 ZMW 201

$6.97 BGN 12.14

44.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

$1.02 BGN 1.77

39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

$1.89 BGN 3.30

22.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

$0.86 BGN 1.49

12.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 ZMW 995

$34.64 BGN 60.3

44.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

$1.70 BGN 2.95

44.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

$0.73 BGN 1.28

108.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

$12.19 BGN 21.21

-59.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

$1.72 BGN 2.99

-12.21%

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

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

$29.5K BGN 51.4K

-74.12%

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

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

$23.8K BGN 41.5K

16.75%

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

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

$101 BGN 177

-19.44%

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

$10.28 ZMW 204

$14.52 BGN 25.27

-29.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

$11.66 BGN 20.29

366.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

$38.51 BGN 67.0

43.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$14.20 BGN 24.71

7.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ZMW 120

$8.64 BGN 15.03

-30.21%

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

$139 ZMW 2,774

$231 BGN 403

-39.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

$14.7K BGN 25.5K

12.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.04 ZMW 458

$58.3 BGN 101

-60.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.19 ZMW 302

$29.21 BGN 50.8

-48.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.38 ZMW 903

$72.2 BGN 126

-37.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

$75.5 BGN 131

-3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,564

$541 BGN 942

-29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,513

$429 BGN 746

-58.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

$816 BGN 1,420

30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ZMW 11.8K

$628 BGN 1,092

-5.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

$2,503 BGN 4,355

-24.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

$1,942 BGN 3,379

158.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$316 ZMW 6,290

$990 BGN 1,722

-68.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

792.31%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Last update for Burgas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$238 27.3%

Burgas

$246 20.2% 3.7% $8.8

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$177 20.3%

Burgas

$429 35.2% 143% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$146 16.8%

Burgas

$128 10.5% 12.8% $19

Eating Out

Lusaka

$110 12.6%

Burgas

$211 17.3% 92.3% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8.1%

Burgas

$106 8.7% 50.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Burgas

$56 4.6% 17% $11

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Burgas

$43 3.6% 32.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Lusaka versus $541 in Burgas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 218% higher in Burgas, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Lusaka versus $46.00 in Burgas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $246 – making Lusaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇧🇬 Burgas

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

13:18 1:18 PM

1 h ahead of Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

189,741

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lusaka Burgas 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Burgas

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 Burgas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $876 in Lusaka, $1,219 in Burgas – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,314 per month in Lusaka and $1,828 in Burgas. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Lusaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $141 per month in Lusaka and $231 in Burgas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lusaka, where all-in costs run around $876, than in Burgas at $1,219. In Lusaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burgas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Burgas has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $876 in Lusaka to $1,219 in Burgas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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