Cost of Living Comparison Between Zambia and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Zambia and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $278 in Zambia versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $476 in Zambia versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $673 in Zambia versus $846 in India.

Living in Zambia costs about 28% less than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Zambia 79% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 ZMW 125

$2.49 ₹237

181.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ZMW 416

$14.20 ₹1,353

64.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 ZMW 64.9

$3.98 ₹379

-8.79%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ZMW 35.51

$1.88 ₹179

5.85%

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

$0.67 ZMW 11.96

$0.44 ₹41.98

52.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ZMW 6.32

$0.19 ₹18.57

84.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ZMW 15.51

$2.02 ₹192

-56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ZMW 27.00

$3.45 ₹329

-56.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ZMW 22.95

$0.72 ₹68.3

79.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ZMW 15.16

$0.52 ₹49.26

63.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 ZMW 32.56

$0.72 ₹68.7

152.78%

Eggs

$1.54 ZMW 27.53

$0.93 ₹88.8

65.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ZMW 140

$5.24 ₹499

49.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

$3.07 ₹292

28.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.01 ZMW 89.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ZMW 41.73

$2.17 ₹207

7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ZMW 27.93

$0.76 ₹72.2

105.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 ZMW 46.64

$1.05 ₹100

148.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ZMW 20.48

$0.53 ₹50.7

116.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 ZMW 35.63

$0.39 ₹37.53

412.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ZMW 24.17

$0.49 ₹46.81

175.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ZMW 17.21

$0.52 ₹49.35

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ZMW 9.54

$0.33 ₹31.13

60.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 ZMW 39.49

$4.05 ₹386

-45.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 ZMW 188

$7.39 ₹704

42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ZMW 15.14

$1.84 ₹175

-53.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ZMW 22.87

$2.90 ₹277

-55.86%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ZMW 16.80

$0.36 ₹34.59

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.82 ZMW 711

$9.74 ₹928

308.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ZMW 44.60

$0.95 ₹90.6

163.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ZMW 19.15

$0.30 ₹28.64

256.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ZMW 161

$1.73 ₹165

422.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ZMW 21.78

$1.23 ₹117

-0.81%

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

$7,973 ZMW 142.3K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

-42.44%

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

$28.6K ZMW 510.0K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

26.39%

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

$83.9 ZMW 1,498

$40.88 ₹3,894

105.33%

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

$51.5 ZMW 919

$3.91 ₹372

1216.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 ZMW 2,233

$7.81 ₹744

1501.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.97 ZMW 749

$16.15 ₹1,538

159.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 ZMW 243

$7.49 ₹713

81.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 ZMW 76.3

$3.42 ₹326

24.85%

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

$176 ZMW 3,140

$69.9 ₹6,660

151.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,775 ZMW 174.5K

$1,793 ₹170.8K

445.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.61 ZMW 350

$25.83 ₹2,460

-24.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.42 ZMW 311

$26.61 ₹2,535

-34.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 ZMW 1,403

$45.24 ₹4,309

73.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ZMW 1,270

$33.68 ₹3,208

111.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ZMW 3,743

$178 ₹17.0K

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ZMW 2,294

$115 ₹10.9K

12.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ZMW 15.7K

$407 ₹38.8K

115.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ZMW 12.8K

$264 ₹25.1K

172.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 ZMW 35.0K

$1,240 ₹118.1K

58.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,654 ZMW 100.9K

$631 ₹60.1K

795.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$356 ZMW 6,353

$432 ₹41.2K

-17.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

177.16%

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

Last update for Zambia: May 31, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Zambia, $127 in India. Capital cities: $224 in Lusaka vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $342 in Zambia, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 477% higher in India.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 16% higher in India, giving Zambia stronger purchasing power.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $438 in Zambia, there's a 32% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Zambia is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in India beats Zambia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Zambia, $800 covers most cities easily. In India, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Zambia wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.