Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimba and Kafue

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $129 a month against $564 in Kafue, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kafue
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Kafue Living Index

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Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$129

/mo nomad

Kafue

🇿🇲 Zambia

$564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zimba and in Kafue

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

A single person spends $129 per month in Zimba vs $564 in Kafue, rent included.

Zimba $129
Kafue $564

A couple spends around $202 per month in Zimba vs $902 in Kafue, rent included.

Zimba $202
Kafue $902

A family of three spends $275 per month in Zimba vs $1,239 in Kafue, rent included.

Zimba $275
Kafue $1,239

Zimba is about 77% cheaper than Kafue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zimba and Kafue are more affordable than the global median – Zimba 90% lower, Kafue 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 ZMW 109

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.41 ZMW 596

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.99 ZMW 60.5

$5.04 ZMW 102

-40.67%

Cappuccino

$1.44 ZMW 29.11

$2.86 ZMW 57.9

-49.65%

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

$0.76 ZMW 15.38

$0.72 ZMW 14.48

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ZMW 7.30

$0.48 ZMW 9.70

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 ZMW 14.66

$1.22 ZMW 24.78

-40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZMW 20.53

$2.27 ZMW 45.89

-55.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ZMW 33.96

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZMW 20.78

$1.16 ZMW 23.56

-11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ZMW 30.46

$2.01 ZMW 40.62

-25.37%

Eggs

$1.31 ZMW 26.58

$1.94 ZMW 39.30

-32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ZMW 206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ZMW 125

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.38 ZMW 68.4

$6.62 ZMW 134

-48.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ZMW 35.84

$3.38 ZMW 68.5

-47.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ZMW 30.28

$2.36 ZMW 47.84

-36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 ZMW 59.5

$3.24 ZMW 65.6

-9.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 ZMW 14.74

$1.54 ZMW 31.16

-52.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 ZMW 52.7

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ZMW 15.66

$1.77 ZMW 35.82

-56.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ZMW 17.42

$1.11 ZMW 22.41

-22.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZMW 9.54

$0.71 ZMW 14.47

-33.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ZMW 61.0

Wine (Bottle)

$5.76 ZMW 117

$9.92 ZMW 201

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ZMW 14.46

$1.37 ZMW 27.82

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ZMW 21.02

$2.27 ZMW 45.99

-54.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ZMW 49.14

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 ZMW 29.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 ZMW 102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ZMW 29.61

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

$7,396 ZMW 149.8K

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

$24.7K ZMW 500.5K

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

$69.0 ZMW 1,397

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

$10.75 ZMW 218

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ZMW 1,085

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ZMW 118

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

$145 ZMW 2,945

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K ZMW 414.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.90 ZMW 504

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.39 ZMW 352

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.90 ZMW 909

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 ZMW 1,319

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Zimba: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kafue: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zimba

–

Kafue

$233 41.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zimba

–

Kafue

$133 23.6%

Eating Out

Zimba

–

Kafue

$108 19.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Zimba

–

Kafue

$69 12.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Zimba

–

Kafue

$12 * 2.1%

Getting Around

Zimba

–

Kafue

$9.6 * 1.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Zimba

🇿🇲 Kafue

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Zimba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,174

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.94 USD

100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.94 USD

100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Zimba Kafue 270 km

From you

Zimba
Kafue

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

Zimba vs Kafue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $129 in Zimba, $564 in Kafue – Zimba comes out roughly 77% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $194 per month in Zimba and $846 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $129 in Zimba and $564 in Kafue. That makes Zimba about 77% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Kafue, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $129 in Zimba and $564 in Kafue, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.