Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Kabwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabwe: $567 a month against $863 in Lusaka, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Kabwe
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Kabwe Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$863

/mo nomad

Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Kabwe

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

A single person spends $863 per month in Lusaka vs $567 in Kabwe, rent included.

Lusaka $863
Kabwe $567

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Lusaka vs $899 in Kabwe, rent included.

Lusaka $1,470
Kabwe $899

A family of three spends $2,077 per month in Lusaka vs $1,232 in Kabwe, rent included.

Lusaka $2,077
Kabwe $1,232

Lusaka costs about 52% more than Kabwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lusaka and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Lusaka 37% lower, Kabwe 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 ZMW 111

$5.59 ZMW 112

-1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.61 ZMW 594

$30.24 ZMW 607

-2.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ZMW 101

$5.03 ZMW 101

0.20%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ZMW 54.6

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

$0.72 ZMW 14.46

$0.76 ZMW 15.35

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.20

$0.45 ZMW 9.08

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZMW 24.46

$1.25 ZMW 25.12

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ZMW 44.30

$2.27 ZMW 45.53

-2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ZMW 33.16

$1.66 ZMW 33.37

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ZMW 23.32

$1.21 ZMW 24.37

-4.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ZMW 41.37

$2.09 ZMW 42.02

-1.44%

Eggs

$1.89 ZMW 38.03

$1.18 ZMW 23.76

60.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ZMW 204

$10.35 ZMW 208

-1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ZMW 124

$6.43 ZMW 129

-4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 ZMW 128

$6.41 ZMW 129

-0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ZMW 67.5

$3.24 ZMW 65.1

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ZMW 47.08

$0.95 ZMW 19.15

147.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 ZMW 71.7

$3.63 ZMW 72.8

-1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ZMW 29.73

$1.54 ZMW 30.84

-3.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ZMW 50.3

$2.57 ZMW 51.6

-2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ZMW 37.06

$1.84 ZMW 36.95

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 23.13

$1.13 ZMW 22.71

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.86

$0.75 ZMW 14.98

5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ZMW 59.2

$3.03 ZMW 60.7

-2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 ZMW 202

$9.71 ZMW 195

3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZMW 28.15

$1.40 ZMW 28.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.61

$2.32 ZMW 46.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ZMW 20.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.76 ZMW 999

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ZMW 50.0

$2.53 ZMW 50.8

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 ZMW 30.37

$1.48 ZMW 29.61

2.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 ZMW 97.2

$4.85 ZMW 97.3

-0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ZMW 29.46

$1.37 ZMW 27.41

7.30%

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

$7,422 ZMW 149.0K

$7,409 ZMW 148.7K

0.18%

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

$27.4K ZMW 549.3K

$27.2K ZMW 545.6K

0.68%

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

$79.4 ZMW 1,594

$78.5 ZMW 1,576

1.16%

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

$10.10 ZMW 203

$10.37 ZMW 208

-2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,091

$54.2 ZMW 1,088

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ZMW 1,069

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 ZMW 302

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ZMW 121

$5.85 ZMW 117

3.25%

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

$138 ZMW 2,766

$137 ZMW 2,744

0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 330.9K

$16.4K ZMW 329.0K

0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.41 ZMW 470

$22.90 ZMW 460

2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.49 ZMW 311

$15.36 ZMW 308

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.53 ZMW 894

$44.90 ZMW 901

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ZMW 1,430

$71.3 ZMW 1,432

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,636

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ZMW 3,588

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 ZMW 22.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ZMW 11.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ZMW 39.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,025 ZMW 100.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$307 ZMW 6,171

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$234 27.2%

Kabwe

$224 39.6% 4.2% $9.7

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$179 20.7%

Kabwe

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$144 16.7%

Kabwe

$143 25.3% 0.5% $0.8

Eating Out

Lusaka

$107 12.4%

Kabwe

$108 19.1% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8.1%

Kabwe

$70 12.3% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$65 7.6%

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1% 82.1% $54

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.4%

Kabwe

$9.9 * 1.8% 84.5% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Lusaka versus $30 in Kabwe. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Lusaka vs $224 in Kabwe – so Kabwe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

Same time as Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

117,517

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.98 USD

100 ZMW = 4.46 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.98 USD

100 ZMW = 4.46 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Lusaka Kabwe 110 km

From you

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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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka costs about 52% more than Kabwe, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,294 per month in Lusaka and $850 in Kabwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $863 in Lusaka and $567 in Kabwe. That makes Kabwe about 34% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Lusaka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kabwe, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Lusaka at $863. In Kabwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lusaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lusaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $567 in Kabwe to $863 in Lusaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.