Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $889 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $540 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$889

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Lusaka versus $934 in Cebu.

Lusaka $889
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,510 in Lusaka versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Lusaka $1,510
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,131 in Lusaka versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Lusaka $2,131
Cebu $1,896

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 5% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lusaka 34% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ZMW 114

$3.03 ₱190

89.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.85 ZMW 612

$23.48 ₱1,473

31.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ZMW 98.4

$4.09 ₱256

21.27%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ZMW 57.4

$2.52 ₱158

15.08%

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

$0.74 ZMW 14.65

$1.54 ₱96.9

-51.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.16

$0.49 ₱30.98

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ZMW 25.85

$1.79 ₱112

-27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 44.98

$2.26 ₱142

0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ZMW 34.83

$1.95 ₱122

-9.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ZMW 23.41

$1.43 ₱89.7

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ZMW 42.28

$1.02 ₱63.8

108.82%

Eggs

$1.92 ZMW 38.15

$2.06 ₱129

-6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 ZMW 205

$9.81 ₱615

5.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ZMW 124

$4.61 ₱289

35.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 ZMW 131

$7.70 ₱483

-14.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 ZMW 69.0

$3.31 ₱207

5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 ZMW 47.66

$1.45 ₱90.9

65.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 ZMW 71.1

$2.36 ₱148

52.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 31.25

$1.54 ₱96.4

2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ZMW 50.1

$2.36 ₱148

7.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ZMW 35.93

$1.99 ₱125

-9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.23

$1.15 ₱72.1

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.68

$0.67 ₱42.15

17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ZMW 58.7

$3.00 ₱188

-1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.26 ZMW 203

$6.35 ₱398

61.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ZMW 28.53

$1.31 ₱81.9

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ZMW 46.63

$1.73 ₱108

35.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZMW 19.51

$0.25 ₱15.78

292.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.75 ZMW 987

$12.65 ₱793

293.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ZMW 49.71

$0.74 ₱46.32

239.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ZMW 30.84

$0.21 ₱13.11

642.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 ZMW 99.6

$4.33 ₱271

15.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZMW 30.69

$1.33 ₱83.5

16.54%

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

$7,507 ZMW 148.9K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-65.51%

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

$27.0K ZMW 536.2K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

39.39%

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

$80.5 ZMW 1,595

$121 ₱7,563

-33.27%

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

$10.41 ZMW 207

$14.45 ₱907

-27.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 ZMW 1,101

$28.29 ₱1,774

96.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 ZMW 1,100

$32.68 ₱2,050

69.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 ZMW 300

$6.39 ₱401

136.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.00 ZMW 119

$5.46 ₱342

9.89%

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

$139 ZMW 2,748

$273 ₱17.1K

-49.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 331.0K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

104.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.34 ZMW 463

$49.57 ₱3,109

-52.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.35 ZMW 304

$24.87 ₱1,560

-38.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.95 ZMW 911

$76.6 ₱4,804

-40.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 ZMW 1,433

$59.3 ₱3,717

21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ZMW 7,744

$506 ₱31.7K

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ZMW 3,575

$309 ₱19.4K

-41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 ZMW 21.9K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

5.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ZMW 11.8K

$619 ₱38.8K

-3.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,906 ZMW 37.8K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-34.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,999 ZMW 99.1K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

167.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 ZMW 6,282

$341 ₱21.4K

-7.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

302.78%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$239 27.2%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 12.1% $29

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$180 20.5%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 71.6% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$146 16.7%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 11.6% $17

Eating Out

Lusaka

$111 12.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 20.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$71 8%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 34% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 35.4% $24

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 75.9% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Lusaka and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 8% 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: $31.00 in Lusaka vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

12:56 12:56 PM

6 h ahead of Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lusaka Cebu 10,900 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Cebu. 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: $391 in Lusaka versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $889 per month in Lusaka versus $934 in Cebu – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 293% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Lusaka versus $934 in Cebu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lusaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lusaka and Cebu 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 5% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.