Cost of Living Comparison Between Ndola and Lusaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Ndola and Lusaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $751 in Ndola versus $907 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Ndola versus $1,534 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,784 in Ndola versus $2,161 in Lusaka.

Living in Ndola costs roughly 17% less than in Lusaka, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ndola 45% lower, Lusaka 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.75 ZMW 110

$5.70 ZMW 109

0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ZMW 608

$31.91 ZMW 611

-0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ZMW 98.2

$5.31 ZMW 102

-3.39%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ZMW 55.4

$2.98 ZMW 57.2

-3.02%

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

$0.56 ZMW 10.63

$0.82 ZMW 15.77

-31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ZMW 4.75

$0.47 ZMW 9.04

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ZMW 24.64

$1.36 ZMW 26.02

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ZMW 45.02

$2.34 ZMW 44.80

0.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ZMW 33.29

$1.86 ZMW 35.62

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ZMW 22.76

$1.25 ZMW 23.85

-4.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ZMW 41.01

$2.19 ZMW 41.85

-2.28%

Eggs

$1.65 ZMW 31.56

$2.05 ZMW 39.27

-19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ZMW 205

$10.75 ZMW 206

-0.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 ZMW 124

$6.54 ZMW 125

-1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ZMW 130

$6.75 ZMW 129

0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 ZMW 30.49

$3.55 ZMW 68.1

-55.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ZMW 48.00

$2.50 ZMW 47.78

0.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 ZMW 72.0

$3.72 ZMW 71.2

1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ZMW 31.61

$1.59 ZMW 30.42

3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ZMW 49.89

$2.74 ZMW 52.4

-4.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ZMW 37.32

$1.97 ZMW 37.73

-1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ZMW 22.22

$1.15 ZMW 21.97

0.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ZMW 12.54

$0.83 ZMW 15.81

-20.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ZMW 59.7

$3.22 ZMW 61.6

-3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 ZMW 200

$10.52 ZMW 202

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ZMW 29.17

$1.48 ZMW 28.26

2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 ZMW 46.43

$2.47 ZMW 47.39

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ZMW 14.41

$1.02 ZMW 19.61

-26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 ZMW 997

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ZMW 49.81

$2.67 ZMW 51.2

-2.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ZMW 29.85

$1.56 ZMW 29.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 ZMW 99.9

$5.23 ZMW 100

-0.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ZMW 28.20

$1.58 ZMW 30.21

-6.96%

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

$7,874 ZMW 150.8K

$7,791 ZMW 149.2K

1.06%

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

$27.2K ZMW 520.4K

$27.7K ZMW 530.5K

-1.90%

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

$84.6 ZMW 1,620

$83.7 ZMW 1,602

1.12%

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

$10.89 ZMW 209

$11.07 ZMW 212

-1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 ZMW 1,109

$56.7 ZMW 1,086

2.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ZMW 1,079

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.97 ZMW 306

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ZMW 118

$6.37 ZMW 122

-3.14%

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

$143 ZMW 2,732

$147 ZMW 2,810

-2.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 320.4K

$16.6K ZMW 318.1K

0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.07 ZMW 461

$24.76 ZMW 474

-2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.45 ZMW 315

$16.00 ZMW 306

2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.47 ZMW 909

$47.84 ZMW 916

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ZMW 1,453

$77.1 ZMW 1,476

-1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 ZMW 3,474

$389 ZMW 7,443

-53.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ZMW 3,009

$183 ZMW 3,501

-14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 ZMW 7,439

$1,118 ZMW 21.4K

-65.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 ZMW 29.1K

$596 ZMW 11.4K

154.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,896 ZMW 36.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,285 ZMW 101.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ZMW 11.3K

$336 ZMW 6,431

75.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Ndola: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Ndola and $389 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ndola pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ndola vs $32.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $249 per month, with Ndola cheaper across the board.

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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ndola and Lusaka differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($751 vs $907 including rent). Ndola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Ndola, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $181 in Ndola versus $389 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Ndola versus $147 in Lusaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ndola – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $32.00 in Lusaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $751 in Ndola versus $907 in Lusaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ndola but tight or insufficient in Lusaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ndola 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.

Expats usually find Ndola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Lusaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.