Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ndola and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $131 a month against $719 in Ndola, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses 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

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ndola and in Zimba

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Ndola vs $131 in Zimba, rent included.

Ndola $719
Zimba $131

A couple spends around $1,721 per month in Ndola vs $204 in Zimba, rent included.

Ndola $1,721
Zimba $204

A family of three spends $2,723 per month in Ndola vs $278 in Zimba, rent included.

Ndola $2,723
Zimba $278

Ndola costs about 450% more than Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ndola and Zimba are more affordable than the global median – Ndola 47% lower, Zimba 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.02 ZMW 597

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ZMW 99.4

$2.93 ZMW 58.3

70.65%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ZMW 54.8

$1.46 ZMW 29.04

89.04%

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

$0.52 ZMW 10.25

$0.73 ZMW 14.61

-28.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ZMW 4.73

$0.34 ZMW 6.75

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZMW 24.31

$0.77 ZMW 15.31

58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ZMW 44.02

$1.03 ZMW 20.40

114.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ZMW 32.92

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ZMW 23.56

$1.02 ZMW 20.19

15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ZMW 42.31

$1.52 ZMW 30.15

40.13%

Eggs

$1.56 ZMW 31.07

$1.27 ZMW 25.18

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ZMW 202

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ZMW 123

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ZMW 133

$3.56 ZMW 70.8

88.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ZMW 29.27

$1.79 ZMW 35.54

-17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ZMW 48.00

$1.52 ZMW 30.19

58.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 ZMW 74.3

$2.95 ZMW 58.7

26.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.72

$0.73 ZMW 14.43

110.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ZMW 50.4

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 35.84

$0.72 ZMW 14.34

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZMW 21.93

$0.89 ZMW 17.67

23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ZMW 11.60

$0.52 ZMW 10.32

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ZMW 61.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 ZMW 196

$5.87 ZMW 117

67.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZMW 28.97

$0.78 ZMW 15.56

87.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ZMW 46.73

$0.97 ZMW 19.32

142.27%

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

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZMW 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.78

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

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

$10.45 ZMW 208

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 ZMW 1,098

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.39 ZMW 306

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.69 ZMW 909

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ZMW 1,421

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 ZMW 11.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Ndola: October 18, 2026

Last update for Zimba: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ndola

$223 31.1%

Zimba

–

Accommodation & Living

Ndola

$148 20.6%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ndola

$146 20.3%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Ndola

$106 14.8%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ndola

$70 9.8%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Ndola

$13 * 1.8%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ndola

$12 * 1.7%

Zimba

–

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

Good to know

🇿🇲 Ndola

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

Same time as Ndola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

455,194

💱 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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Between locations

Ndola Zimba 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ndola
Zimba

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ndola is pricier by about 450%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,079 per month in Ndola and $196 in Zimba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $719 in Ndola and $131 in Zimba. That's a gap of about 450%.

Groceries cost about 137% more in Ndola, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $719 in Ndola and $131 in Zimba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Zimba – 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 Zimba. 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.