Cost of Living Comparison Between Ndola and Livingstone Cost of Living Comparison Between Ndola and Livingstone

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $722 per month in Ndola vs $176 in Livingstone, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,700 per month in Ndola vs $316 in Livingstone, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,678 per month in Ndola vs $457 in Livingstone, rent included.

Ndola costs about 310% more than Livingstone, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Ndola and Livingstone are more affordable than the global median – Ndola 46% lower, Livingstone 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.10 ZMW 127

$6.11 ZMW 109

16.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.46 ZMW 437

$24.45 ZMW 436

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ZMW 65.3

$7.40 ZMW 132

-50.54%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ZMW 34.61

$4.20 ZMW 75.1

-53.81%

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

$0.38 ZMW 6.70

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ZMW 3.09

$0.28 ZMW 4.95

-39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ZMW 16.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ZMW 32.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ZMW 22.15

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ZMW 14.08

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 28.09

Eggs

$1.26 ZMW 22.58

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 ZMW 135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.69 ZMW 83.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ZMW 21.87

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ZMW 29.45

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ZMW 49.57

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ZMW 20.94

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 32.20

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ZMW 23.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ZMW 16.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ZMW 9.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 ZMW 44.66

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ZMW 194

$21.62 ZMW 386

-49.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ZMW 20.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ZMW 27.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ZMW 9.90

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ZMW 32.63

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 ZMW 31.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 ZMW 168

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ZMW 21.31

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

$8,120 ZMW 144.9K

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

$28.0K ZMW 500.4K

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

$91.8 ZMW 1,638

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

$36.35 ZMW 649

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$124 ZMW 2,206

Cinema Ticket

$4.06 ZMW 72.5

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

$173 ZMW 3,095

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,711 ZMW 173.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.00 ZMW 339

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.14 ZMW 306

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 ZMW 1,510

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 ZMW 1,307

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 ZMW 2,253

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ZMW 1,953

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ZMW 4,753

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 ZMW 26.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ZMW 10.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Ndola: May 31, 2026

Last update for Livingstone: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Ndola versus $24.00 in Livingstone. Groceries tell a different story – $170 in Ndola vs $43.00 in Livingstone – so Livingstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $722 in Ndola, $176 in Livingstone – roughly 310% apart. Ndola costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,083 per month in Ndola and $264 in Livingstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Ndola and $24.00 in Livingstone. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $722 in Ndola and $176 in Livingstone. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $722 in Ndola and $176 in Livingstone, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Livingstone – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Livingstone. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ndola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.