Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $876 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$876

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Lusaka versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Lusaka $876
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,497 in Lusaka versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Lusaka $1,497
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,117 in Lusaka versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Lusaka $2,117
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 61% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lusaka is 35% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 ZMW 112

$16.50 €14.67

-65.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.45 ZMW 606

$61.3 €54.5

-50.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 ZMW 102

$11.27 €10.03

-54.39%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 56.8

$3.06 €2.72

-6.54%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$2.26 €2.01

-65.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 8.92

$1.73 €1.54

-73.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ZMW 25.56

$3.39 €3.02

-61.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.24

$3.40 €3.02

-31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.20

$1.12 €1.00

49.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.48

$1.86 €1.65

-33.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 41.62

$1.53 €1.36

36.60%

Eggs

$1.90 ZMW 37.77

$3.96 €3.53

-52.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ZMW 206

$12.76 €11.35

-18.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 128

$7.90 €7.02

-18.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.47 ZMW 129

$16.97 €15.09

-61.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 ZMW 68.5

$2.27 €2.02

51.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.71

$1.75 €1.55

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 ZMW 72.1

$1.85 €1.64

95.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 31.35

$2.57 €2.28

-38.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ZMW 52.0

$1.86 €1.65

40.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ZMW 37.39

$2.02 €1.80

-6.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.93

$1.44 €1.28

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 14.96

$0.82 €0.73

-8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ZMW 61.1

$6.56 €5.83

-53.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ZMW 203

$5.62 €5.00

82.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.24

$1.28 €1.14

10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ZMW 44.47

$2.07 €1.84

8.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZMW 20.44

$2.35 €2.09

-56.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 ZMW 1,003

$44.18 €39.30

14.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ZMW 49.14

$3.99 €3.55

-38.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.29

$1.09 €0.97

39.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 ZMW 102

$16.64 €14.81

-69.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ZMW 29.71

$2.28 €2.03

-34.65%

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

$7,550 ZMW 150.2K

$33.7K €30.0K

-77.58%

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

$27.2K ZMW 540.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-30.89%

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

$79.3 ZMW 1,577

$167 €149

-52.65%

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

$10.56 ZMW 210

$18.80 €16.72

-43.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 ZMW 1,093

$33.09 €29.43

66.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ZMW 1,072

$46.01 €40.93

17.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$19.19 €17.07

-20.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 ZMW 121

$9.84 €8.75

-38.41%

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

$141 ZMW 2,802

$677 €602

-79.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 331.8K

$16.9K €15.1K

-1.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 ZMW 467

$101 €90.1

-76.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 ZMW 308

$45.76 €40.70

-66.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.00 ZMW 895

$100.0 €88.9

-55.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ZMW 1,429

$123 €109

-41.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ZMW 7,794

$1,614 €1,436

-75.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ZMW 3,597

$1,197 €1,065

-84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 ZMW 21.8K

$2,862 €2,545

-61.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 ZMW 12.0K

$1,990 €1,770

-69.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,949 ZMW 38.8K

$7,577 €6,740

-74.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,934 ZMW 98.1K

$4,307 €3,831

14.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 ZMW 6,182

$1,588 €1,412

-80.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

653.25%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$239 27.3%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 12.7% $30

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$181 20.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 562% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$145 16.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 51.5% $75

Eating Out

Lusaka

$111 12.6%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 119% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 137% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$66 7.5%

Lisbon

$66 3% 0.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Lusaka

$65 7.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 2.5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Lusaka and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 411% 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: $30.00 in Lusaka vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $269 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

1 h behind Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lusaka Lisbon 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Lisbon differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $2,223 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 411% lower in Lisbon. 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: $392 in Lusaka versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $141 in Lusaka versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Lusaka versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka 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.

Safety-wise, Lusaka and Lisbon 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 154% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.