Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Zambia

Name: Zambia
Address: ZM

For one person, living is cheaper in Zambia: $888 a month against $2,720 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zambia
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Zambia Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

🇿🇲 Zambia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Zambia

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

A single person spends $2,720 per month in the United States vs $888 in Zambia, rent included.

United States $2,720
Zambia $888

A couple spends around $3,954 per month in the United States vs $1,577 in Zambia, rent included.

United States $3,954
Zambia $1,577

A family of three spends $5,188 per month in the United States vs $2,267 in Zambia, rent included.

United States $5,188
Zambia $2,267

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($984–$5,225) than in Zambia ($129–$860), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 206% higher than in Zambia on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Zambia is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$6.63 ZMW 134

197.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$29.20 ZMW 592

171.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$4.92 ZMW 99.7

139.43%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$3.25 ZMW 65.8

72.92%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$0.77 ZMW 15.57

248.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.48 ZMW 9.77

337.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$1.27 ZMW 25.69

370.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 $7.89

$2.48 ZMW 50.4

218.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.80 ZMW 36.40

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.19 ZMW 24.06

203.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.35 ZMW 47.63

96.17%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$1.78 ZMW 36.13

143.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 $12.86

$10.04 ZMW 204

28.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$6.29 ZMW 127

98.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.41 $17.41

$6.11 ZMW 124

184.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.38 ZMW 68.5

60.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.14 ZMW 43.36

-22.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.31 ZMW 67.1

32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.52 ZMW 30.78

226.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.63 ZMW 53.3

8.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.92 ZMW 38.97

59.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.17 ZMW 23.75

95.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.74 ZMW 15.04

210.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 $11.01

$2.98 ZMW 60.3

269.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.03 ZMW 203

48.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.30 ZMW 26.25

63.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.02 ZMW 40.88

87.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.96 ZMW 19.44

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$55.0 ZMW 1,116

7.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.48 ZMW 50.3

40.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.59 ZMW 32.24

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.76 $29.76

$8.85 ZMW 179

236.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.35 ZMW 27.39

-20.00%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$6,270 ZMW 127.1K

345.76%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$41.6K ZMW 843.0K

-37.99%

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

$217 $217

$77.5 ZMW 1,572

179.49%

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

$62.7 $62.7

$11.24 ZMW 228

457.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$57.7 ZMW 1,169

26.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 $42.08

$48.69 ZMW 987

-13.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 $23.10

$15.83 ZMW 321

45.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$6.63 ZMW 134

122.78%

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

$1,490 $1,490

$147 ZMW 2,971

916.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K $21.7K

$20.0K ZMW 404.5K

8.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$25.13 ZMW 509

112.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 $42.69

$13.67 ZMW 277

212.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$57.6 ZMW 1,167

60.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$77.5 ZMW 1,572

50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$456 ZMW 9,253

266.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$176 ZMW 3,563

661.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,061 ZMW 21.5K

156.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 $2,131

$725 ZMW 14.7K

194.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$3,803 ZMW 77.1K

-14.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,553 $2,553

$3,966 ZMW 80.4K

-35.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,253 $4,253

$461 ZMW 9,347

822.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

26.25

-74.97%

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

Last update for the United States: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zambia: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.2%

Zambia

$176 19.8% 86.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.3%

Zambia

$233 26.2% 44% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Zambia

$146 16.5% 58.4% $206

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Zambia

$123 13.9% 62.2% $203

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Zambia

$78 8.8% 43.1% $59

Getting Around

United States

$80 3%

Zambia

$69 7.8% 13.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$72 2.6%

Zambia

$62 7% 13.5% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,628 in the United States vs $590 in Zambia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,721 in Washington, DC and $388 in Lusaka.

Average salary: $4,531 in the United States vs $358 in Zambia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 176% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 159% more in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇿🇲 Zambia

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

06:51 6:51 AM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

19,610,769

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.93 USD

100 ZMW = 4.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 20.27 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.93 USD). 1 EUR = 22.75 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.39 EUR).

ZMW to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Zambia 13,270 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Zambia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zambia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 67% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,628 versus $590 in Zambia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Zambia – part of why living there is about 67% cheaper overall.

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