Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $872 per month in Lusaka vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lusaka $872
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Lusaka vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lusaka $1,488
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,103 per month in Lusaka vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lusaka $2,103
Chiang Mai $1,903

Lusaka is about 6% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lusaka and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Lusaka 36% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

$2.29 ฿76.5

143.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.94 ZMW 595

$19.64 ฿656

52.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

$5.61 ฿188

-11.05%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

$1.66 ฿55.6

71.08%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

$0.70 ฿23.40

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

$0.31 ฿10.24

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

$2.41 ฿80.4

-47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

$3.71 ฿124

-38.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

$1.95 ฿65.3

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

$1.41 ฿47.03

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

$1.31 ฿43.62

53.44%

Eggs

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

$2.18 ฿72.9

-10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 ZMW 209

$16.65 ฿556

-37.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 ZMW 126

$2.76 ฿92.2

129.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 131

$9.11 ฿304

-27.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

$2.39 ฿80.0

38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

$1.03 ฿34.26

137.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

$1.63 ฿54.4

124.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

$1.50 ฿50.0

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

$1.29 ฿43.13

95.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

$1.11 ฿37.03

61.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

$0.72 ฿24.08

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

$0.53 ฿17.59

39.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

$4.31 ฿144

-31.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 ZMW 201

$17.95 ฿600

-43.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

$1.58 ฿52.9

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

$2.84 ฿95.0

-18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

$0.86 ฿28.86

12.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 ZMW 995

$53.3 ฿1,780

-6.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

$1.21 ฿40.29

103.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

$0.57 ฿18.99

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

$2.35 ฿78.6

112.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

$1.44 ฿47.96

4.86%

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

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-63.13%

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

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

3.86%

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

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

$62.3 ฿2,083

31.12%

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

$10.28 ZMW 204

$12.11 ฿405

-15.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

$19.94 ฿666

172.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

$37.07 ฿1,239

48.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$3.78 ฿126

302.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ZMW 120

$6.50 ฿217

-7.23%

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

$139 ZMW 2,774

$793 ฿26.5K

-82.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

11.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.04 ZMW 458

$53.7 ฿1,796

-57.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.19 ZMW 302

$24.62 ฿823

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.38 ZMW 903

$90.9 ฿3,036

-50.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

$71.1 ฿2,378

2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,564

$455 ฿15.2K

-16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,513

$298 ฿9,954

-40.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

$908 ฿30.4K

17.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ZMW 11.8K

$554 ฿18.5K

7.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-1.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

247.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$316 ZMW 6,290

$591 ฿19.7K

-46.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

420.65%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$238 27.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 0.9% $2.1

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$177 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 68.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$146 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 35.5% $52

Eating Out

Lusaka

$110 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 28.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 53.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 25.5% $17

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $380 in Lusaka versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 87% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

5 h ahead of Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lusaka Chiang Mai 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than Lusaka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,308 per month in Lusaka and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. 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.

Kindergarten costs $139 per month in Lusaka and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lusaka, where all-in costs run around $872, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Lusaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lusaka costs $872 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.