Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Chilanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Chilanga: $592 a month against $876 in Lusaka, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Chilanga
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Chilanga Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$876

/mo nomad

Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zambia

$592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Chilanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Lusaka versus $592 in Chilanga.

Lusaka $876
Chilanga $592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,497 in Lusaka versus $941 in Chilanga.

Lusaka $1,497
Chilanga $941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,117 in Lusaka versus $1,290 in Chilanga.

Lusaka $2,117
Chilanga $1,290

Living in Lusaka is roughly 48% more expensive than in Chilanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lusaka 35% lower, Chilanga 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 ZMW 112

$5.68 ZMW 113

-0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.45 ZMW 606

$30.64 ZMW 610

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 ZMW 102

$5.00 ZMW 99.5

2.80%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 56.8

$2.86 ZMW 56.9

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$0.80 ZMW 15.85

-2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 8.92

$0.46 ZMW 9.21

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ZMW 25.56

$1.24 ZMW 24.63

4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.24

$2.22 ZMW 44.19

4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.20

$1.72 ZMW 34.30

-2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.48

$1.23 ZMW 24.46

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 41.62

$2.14 ZMW 42.58

-2.34%

Eggs

$1.90 ZMW 37.77

$2.01 ZMW 39.92

-5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ZMW 206

$10.58 ZMW 211

-2.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 128

$6.27 ZMW 125

2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.47 ZMW 129

$6.61 ZMW 132

-2.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 ZMW 68.5

$3.43 ZMW 68.3

0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.71

$2.38 ZMW 47.42

2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 ZMW 72.1

$3.72 ZMW 74.0

-2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 31.35

$1.54 ZMW 30.59

2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ZMW 52.0

$2.64 ZMW 52.5

-0.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ZMW 37.39

$1.80 ZMW 35.83

4.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.93

$1.11 ZMW 22.01

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 14.96

$0.76 ZMW 15.11

-1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ZMW 61.1

$3.09 ZMW 61.4

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ZMW 203

$10.33 ZMW 205

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.24

$1.43 ZMW 28.40

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ZMW 44.47

$2.37 ZMW 47.15

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZMW 20.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 ZMW 1,003

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ZMW 49.14

$2.60 ZMW 51.8

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.29

$1.53 ZMW 30.51

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 ZMW 102

$5.22 ZMW 104

-1.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ZMW 29.71

$1.50 ZMW 29.91

-0.67%

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

$7,550 ZMW 150.2K

$7,599 ZMW 151.1K

-0.64%

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

$27.2K ZMW 540.1K

$27.6K ZMW 549.7K

-1.76%

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

$79.3 ZMW 1,577

$82.5 ZMW 1,640

-3.83%

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

$10.56 ZMW 210

$10.31 ZMW 205

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 ZMW 1,093

$54.4 ZMW 1,082

0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ZMW 1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 ZMW 121

$6.23 ZMW 124

-2.73%

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

$141 ZMW 2,802

$140 ZMW 2,786

0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 331.8K

$16.6K ZMW 330.0K

0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 ZMW 467

$23.42 ZMW 466

0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 ZMW 308

$15.73 ZMW 313

-1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.00 ZMW 895

$44.76 ZMW 890

0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ZMW 1,429

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

-1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ZMW 7,794

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ZMW 3,597

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 ZMW 21.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 ZMW 12.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,949 ZMW 38.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,934 ZMW 98.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 ZMW 6,182

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$239 27.3%

Chilanga

$241 40.7% 0.7% $1.7

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$181 20.6%

Chilanga

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$145 16.5%

Chilanga

$147 24.9% 1.6% $2.4

Eating Out

Lusaka

$111 12.6%

Chilanga

$110 18.7% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8%

Chilanga

$71 11.9% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$66 7.5%

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1% 81.1% $54

Getting Around

Lusaka

$65 7.4%

Chilanga

$10 * 1.7% 84.1% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Lusaka vs $31.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $241 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

Same time as Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

107,051

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lusaka Chilanga 16 km

From you

Lusaka
Chilanga

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 Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Chilanga differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $592 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,314 in Lusaka and $887 in Chilanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $141 in Lusaka versus $140 in Chilanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $30.00 in Lusaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $592 in Chilanga versus $876 in Lusaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Lusaka. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga 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.

Expats usually find Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lusaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.