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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

The cost of living in Zambia is roughly 76% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 ZMW 133

$11.30 R 182

-38.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.38 ZMW 604

$44.51 R 717

-29.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ZMW 102

$5.90 R 95.0

-10.00%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ZMW 59.7

$2.44 R 39.22

27.05%

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

$0.80 ZMW 15.31

$1.16 R 18.64

-31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZMW 9.47

$0.96 R 15.39

-48.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 24.52

$2.56 R 41.29

-50.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ZMW 48.52

$3.08 R 49.60

-18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ZMW 35.17

$1.28 R 20.57

42.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ZMW 24.36

$1.13 R 18.15

12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ZMW 46.96

$1.83 R 29.55

33.33%

Eggs

$1.88 ZMW 36.19

$2.55 R 41.12

-26.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ZMW 205

$8.35 R 134

27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ZMW 126

$5.44 R 87.6

20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 ZMW 124

$7.88 R 127

-18.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 ZMW 69.2

$1.90 R 30.61

89.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ZMW 42.63

$1.70 R 27.36

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 ZMW 69.1

$1.81 R 29.14

98.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ZMW 29.49

$1.88 R 30.23

-18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 ZMW 54.6

$1.54 R 24.76

84.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ZMW 37.49

$1.49 R 24.03

30.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ZMW 23.74

$1.33 R 21.45

-7.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ZMW 14.13

$1.19 R 19.09

-38.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ZMW 55.9

$3.41 R 55.0

-14.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 ZMW 198

$5.08 R 81.7

102.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZMW 26.28

$1.51 R 24.28

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ZMW 40.41

$2.03 R 32.64

3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ZMW 20.36

$1.76 R 28.39

-39.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ZMW 1,018

$63.1 R 1,016

-16.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ZMW 50.0

$1.12 R 17.97

132.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 ZMW 33.13

$1.01 R 16.33

70.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 ZMW 177

$8.07 R 130

14.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ZMW 28.12

$1.46 R 23.53

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

$6,647 ZMW 127.9K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-81.95%

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

$39.0K ZMW 751.1K

$32.5K R 523.6K

20.00%

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

$94.1 ZMW 1,812

$136 R 2,185

-30.62%

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

$11.58 ZMW 223

$35.72 R 575

-67.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 ZMW 1,176

$41.40 R 667

47.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ZMW 1,012

$34.96 R 563

50.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ZMW 333

$12.46 R 201

38.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 ZMW 134

$7.62 R 123

-8.66%

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

$146 ZMW 2,817

$231 R 3,725

-36.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ZMW 319.9K

$5,726 R 92.2K

190.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.28 ZMW 487

$56.4 R 908

-55.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.33 ZMW 295

$33.91 R 546

-54.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 ZMW 1,182

$102 R 1,639

-39.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 ZMW 1,496

$93.0 R 1,497

-16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ZMW 8,652

$506 R 8,154

-11.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ZMW 3,436

$418 R 6,727

-57.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 ZMW 20.9K

$979 R 15.8K

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ZMW 14.0K

$838 R 13.5K

-13.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,987 ZMW 76.8K

$1,151 R 18.5K

246.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 ZMW 125.1K

$800 R 12.9K

712.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ZMW 8,308

$1,554 R 25.0K

-72.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.25

11.24

133.54%

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

Last update for Zambia: September 8, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $346 in Zambia vs $1,553 in South Africa. 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

Zambia vs South Africa: 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.