Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ndola and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $719 in Ndola, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ndola
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Ndola Living Index

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Ndola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$719

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ndola and in Chingola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ndola and in Chingola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in Ndola versus $428 in Chingola.

Ndola $719
Chingola $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,721 in Ndola versus $731 in Chingola.

Ndola $1,721
Chingola $731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,723 in Ndola versus $1,033 in Chingola.

Ndola $2,723
Chingola $1,033

Living in Ndola is roughly 68% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ndola 47% lower, Chingola 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

$15.26 ZMW 304

-63.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.02 ZMW 597

$25.50 ZMW 507

17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ZMW 99.4

Cappuccino

$2.76 ZMW 54.8

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

$0.52 ZMW 10.25

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ZMW 4.73

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZMW 24.31

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ZMW 44.02

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

79.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ZMW 32.92

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ZMW 23.56

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ZMW 42.31

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

-14.11%

Eggs

$1.56 ZMW 31.07

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

-15.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ZMW 202

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ZMW 123

$5.11 ZMW 102

20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ZMW 133

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

48.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ZMW 29.27

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

-25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ZMW 48.00

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 ZMW 74.3

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

86.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.72

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

-22.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ZMW 50.4

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

-16.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 35.84

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZMW 21.93

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ZMW 11.60

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

-34.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ZMW 61.5

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

100.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 ZMW 196

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

98.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZMW 28.97

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

135.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ZMW 46.73

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

201.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZMW 14.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ZMW 51.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 ZMW 30.41

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

163.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZMW 100

$10.17 ZMW 202

-50.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.78

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

0.75%

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

$7,392 ZMW 147.0K

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

$26.9K ZMW 534.7K

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

$80.2 ZMW 1,596

$49.29 ZMW 980

62.79%

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

$10.45 ZMW 208

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 ZMW 1,098

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.97 ZMW 198

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ZMW 120

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

$135 ZMW 2,692

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ZMW 324.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.64 ZMW 470

$20.29 ZMW 404

16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.39 ZMW 306

$12.36 ZMW 246

24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.69 ZMW 909

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

-9.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ZMW 1,421

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

-5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,526

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ZMW 2,948

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 ZMW 7,365

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ZMW 29.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 ZMW 11.9K

$112 ZMW 2,223

433.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Ndola: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ndola

$223 31.1%

Chingola

–

Accommodation & Living

Ndola

$148 20.6%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ndola

$146 20.3%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Ndola

$106 14.8%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ndola

$70 9.8%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Ndola

$13 * 1.8%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ndola

$12 * 1.7%

Chingola

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Ndola pays 433% 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 Ndola vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $163 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Ndola

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Ndola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

455,194

210,073

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ndola Chingola 96 km

From you

Ndola
Chingola

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

Ndola vs Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 433% higher in Ndola, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ndola. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $30.00 in Ndola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Chingola gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Ndola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.