Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $876 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Erbil outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

Jump to prices

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$876

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $876 per month in Lusaka vs $956 in Erbil, rent included.

Lusaka $876
Erbil $956

A couple spends around $1,497 per month in Lusaka vs $1,421 in Erbil, rent included.

Lusaka $1,497
Erbil $1,421

A family of three spends $2,117 per month in Lusaka vs $1,887 in Erbil, rent included.

Lusaka $2,117
Erbil $1,887

Lusaka is about 8% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lusaka and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Lusaka 35% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 ZMW 112

$6.45 IQD 9,753

-12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.45 ZMW 606

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-16.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 ZMW 102

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

-27.50%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 56.8

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-11.46%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$0.89 IQD 1,338

-12.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 8.92

$0.33 IQD 503

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ZMW 25.56

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-75.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.24

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-39.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.20

$1.06 IQD 1,600

57.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.48

$0.73 IQD 1,101

68.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 41.62

$1.52 IQD 2,300

37.50%

Eggs

$1.90 ZMW 37.77

$1.57 IQD 2,373

21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ZMW 206

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

49.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 128

$4.27 IQD 6,458

50.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.47 ZMW 129

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

-48.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 ZMW 68.5

$0.99 IQD 1,501

248.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.71

$0.99 IQD 1,495

147.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 ZMW 72.1

$1.03 IQD 1,555

251.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 31.35

$0.65 IQD 988

143.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ZMW 52.0

$0.64 IQD 964

309.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ZMW 37.39

$0.61 IQD 925

208.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.93

$0.60 IQD 909

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 14.96

$0.47 IQD 709

59.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ZMW 61.1

$2.15 IQD 3,250

42.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ZMW 203

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

-5.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.24

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ZMW 44.47

$1.87 IQD 2,825

19.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZMW 20.44

$0.48 IQD 718

114.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 ZMW 1,003

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

29.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ZMW 49.14

$1.68 IQD 2,531

47.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.29

$1.60 IQD 2,421

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 ZMW 102

$5.67 IQD 8,566

-9.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ZMW 29.71

$0.55 IQD 825

170.91%

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

$7,550 ZMW 150.2K

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

-53.80%

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

$27.2K ZMW 540.1K

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

60.02%

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

$79.3 ZMW 1,577

$113 IQD 170.3K

-29.64%

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

$10.56 ZMW 210

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

-13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 ZMW 1,093

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

126.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ZMW 1,072

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-4.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

14.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 ZMW 121

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-39.40%

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

$141 ZMW 2,802

$315 IQD 476.0K

-55.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 331.8K

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

493.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 ZMW 467

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

-12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 ZMW 308

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

-60.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.00 ZMW 895

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

-24.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ZMW 1,429

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ZMW 7,794

$423 IQD 639.7K

-7.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ZMW 3,597

$275 IQD 415.2K

-34.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 ZMW 21.8K

$700 IQD 1.1M

56.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 ZMW 12.0K

$406 IQD 613.1K

48.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,949 ZMW 38.8K

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

86.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,934 ZMW 98.1K

$608 IQD 919.3K

711.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 ZMW 6,182

$525 IQD 793.9K

-40.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

1046.25%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$239 27.3%

Erbil

$172 18% 28% $67

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$181 20.6%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 51.9% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$145 16.5%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 3.1% $4.4

Eating Out

Lusaka

$111 12.6%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 35.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 18.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$66 7.5%

Erbil

$77 8% 16% $11

Getting Around

Lusaka

$65 7.4%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 22% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Lusaka versus $423 in Erbil. 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 69% higher in Erbil, 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 $36.00 in Erbil. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Lusaka vs $172 in Erbil – so Erbil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

1 h ahead of Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, 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).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lusaka Erbil 5,970 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Erbil

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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,314 per month in Lusaka and $1,435 in Erbil. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 39% cheaper in Erbil – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Lusaka and $36.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lusaka, where all-in costs run around $876, than in Erbil at $956. In Lusaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Erbil 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.

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