Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Zambia Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Zambia

Name: Zambia
Address: ZM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $276 in Zambia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $548 in Zambia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $820 in Zambia, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 314% higher than in Zambia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Zambia are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Zambia 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$6.91 ZMW 133

63.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$31.38 ZMW 604

41.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$5.31 ZMW 102

11.11%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$3.10 ZMW 59.7

-21.29%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$0.80 ZMW 15.31

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$0.49 ZMW 9.47

95.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$1.27 ZMW 24.52

101.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$2.52 ZMW 48.52

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.83 ZMW 35.17

-30.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.27 ZMW 24.36

-11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$2.44 ZMW 46.96

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$1.88 ZMW 36.19

35.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$10.64 ZMW 205

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$6.54 ZMW 126

-16.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$6.46 ZMW 124

21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$3.60 ZMW 69.2

-47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$2.21 ZMW 42.63

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$3.59 ZMW 69.1

-49.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.53 ZMW 29.49

22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$2.84 ZMW 54.6

-45.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.95 ZMW 37.49

-23.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$1.23 ZMW 23.74

8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.73 ZMW 14.13

63.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$2.90 ZMW 55.9

17.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$10.28 ZMW 198

-50.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.37 ZMW 26.28

10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$2.10 ZMW 40.41

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$1.06 ZMW 20.36

66.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$52.9 ZMW 1,018

19.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$2.60 ZMW 50.0

-56.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$1.72 ZMW 33.13

-41.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$9.20 ZMW 177

-12.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.46 ZMW 28.12

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$6,647 ZMW 127.9K

453.86%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$39.0K ZMW 751.1K

-16.67%

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

$136 R 2,185

$94.1 ZMW 1,812

44.13%

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

$35.72 R 575

$11.58 ZMW 223

208.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$61.1 ZMW 1,176

-32.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$52.6 ZMW 1,012

-33.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$17.29 ZMW 333

-27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$6.96 ZMW 134

9.48%

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

$231 R 3,725

$146 ZMW 2,817

58.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$16.6K ZMW 319.9K

-65.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$25.28 ZMW 487

122.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$15.33 ZMW 295

121.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$61.4 ZMW 1,182

65.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$77.7 ZMW 1,496

19.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$449 ZMW 8,652

12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$178 ZMW 3,436

134.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,086 ZMW 20.9K

-9.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$729 ZMW 14.0K

15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$3,987 ZMW 76.8K

-71.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$6,500 ZMW 125.1K

-87.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$432 ZMW 8,308

260.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

26.25

-57.18%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Zambia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $110 in Zambia. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $384 in Lusaka.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $346 in Zambia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 305% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 208% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 349% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

South Africa vs Zambia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zambia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 171% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Zambia, contributing to the overall 171% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zambia, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Zambia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.