Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zambia and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living costs are similar in Zambia and in Brazil: $905 and $932 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Zambia
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Zambia Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index

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🇿🇲 Zambia

$905

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zambia and in Brazil

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

A single person spends $905 per month in Zambia vs $932 in Brazil, rent included.

Zambia $905
Brazil $932

A couple spends around $1,615 per month in Zambia vs $1,470 in Brazil, rent included.

Zambia $1,615
Brazil $1,470

A family of three spends $2,325 per month in Zambia vs $2,008 in Brazil, rent included.

Zambia $2,325
Brazil $2,008

The cost of living in Zambia is roughly 3% lower than in Brazil on average.

Both Zambia and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Zambia 32% lower, Brazil 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 ZMW 136

$6.96 R$34.74

-1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.13 ZMW 597

$33.46 R$167

-9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ZMW 103

$8.00 R$39.92

-35.00%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ZMW 60.1

$2.08 R$10.41

45.67%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.38

$1.29 R$6.44

-39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZMW 9.72

$0.74 R$3.71

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ZMW 25.73

$2.02 R$10.09

-35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ZMW 50.3

$3.07 R$15.35

-17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ZMW 37.25

$1.09 R$5.46

72.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.32

$1.75 R$8.72

-29.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ZMW 48.42

$1.33 R$6.63

83.46%

Eggs

$1.84 ZMW 36.42

$2.24 R$11.17

-17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ZMW 207

$9.56 R$47.70

9.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ZMW 130

$4.32 R$21.56

51.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.13 ZMW 122

$8.54 R$42.61

-28.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 ZMW 68.9

$2.32 R$11.56

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 ZMW 42.42

$1.44 R$7.19

48.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ZMW 69.5

$1.24 R$6.18

183.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 31.15

$1.56 R$7.80

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 ZMW 55.7

$1.24 R$6.17

126.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ZMW 37.77

$1.10 R$5.51

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.88

$0.81 R$4.04

41.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ZMW 14.09

$0.78 R$3.89

-8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ZMW 56.3

$2.56 R$12.78

10.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 ZMW 201

$8.19 R$40.88

23.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ZMW 27.94

$1.33 R$6.65

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ZMW 41.62

$2.46 R$12.29

-14.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZMW 19.52

$1.00 R$4.98

-2.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 ZMW 995

$48.08 R$240

4.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ZMW 50.9

$1.29 R$6.43

99.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 ZMW 33.60

$1.02 R$5.11

65.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ZMW 177

$8.08 R$40.35

10.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ZMW 28.88

$1.30 R$6.49

12.31%

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

$6,225 ZMW 123.4K

$23.6K R$117.7K

-73.61%

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

$38.8K ZMW 768.5K

$33.4K R$166.7K

16.06%

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

$89.7 ZMW 1,778

$83.5 R$417

7.39%

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

$10.95 ZMW 217

$13.34 R$66.6

-17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ZMW 1,169

$21.01 R$105

180.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ZMW 998

$25.88 R$129

94.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.39 ZMW 325

$27.11 R$135

-39.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 ZMW 135

$7.25 R$36.21

-6.21%

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

$142 ZMW 2,821

$343 R$1,714

-58.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ZMW 333.1K

$9,142 R$45.6K

83.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.56 ZMW 487

$53.6 R$267

-54.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.64 ZMW 290

$49.97 R$249

-70.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 ZMW 1,174

$88.7 R$443

-33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ZMW 1,505

$70.9 R$354

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ZMW 8,980

$393 R$1,963

15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ZMW 3,443

$254 R$1,269

-31.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 ZMW 21.3K

$730 R$3,646

47.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 ZMW 14.3K

$499 R$2,488

44.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,941 ZMW 78.1K

$1,920 R$9,584

105.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,414 ZMW 127.2K

$1,295 R$6,467

395.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$428 ZMW 8,485

$539 R$2,690

-20.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.25

11.17

135.00%

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

Last update for Zambia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zambia

$240 26.5%

Brazil

$198 21.6% 17.3% $42

Accommodation & Living

Zambia

$174 19.2%

Brazil

$254 27.7% 46.4% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zambia

$160 17.7%

Brazil

$118 12.9% 26.1% $42

Eating Out

Zambia

$123 13.7%

Brazil

$129 14.1% 4.7% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Zambia

$78 8.7%

Brazil

$118 12.9% 51% $40

Getting Around

Zambia

$65 7.2%

Brazil

$58 6.4% 10.2% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Zambia

$64 7.1%

Brazil

$40 4.4% 36.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $111 in Zambia vs $345 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $391 in Lusaka and $498 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $342 in Zambia vs $494 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 211% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 138% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 1233% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 44% higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Zambia

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

08:25 8:25 AM

5 h behind Zambia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,610,769

203,062,512

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.22 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zambia Brazil 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zambia
Brazil

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

Zambia vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zambia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Brazil: a central one-bedroom averages $345 versus $111 in Zambia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Zambia, adding to the overall 3% price gap.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zambia, but in Brazil 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.