Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimba and Ndola

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $131 a month against $719 in Ndola, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ndola
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Ndola Living Index

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Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$131

/mo nomad

Ndola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zimba and in Ndola

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 Ndola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $131 per month in Zimba vs $719 in Ndola, rent included.

Zimba $131
Ndola $719

A couple spends around $204 per month in Zimba vs $1,721 in Ndola, rent included.

Zimba $204
Ndola $1,721

A family of three spends $278 per month in Zimba vs $2,723 in Ndola, rent included.

Zimba $278
Ndola $2,723

Zimba is about 82% cheaper than Ndola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zimba and Ndola are more affordable than the global median – Zimba 90% lower, Ndola 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.02 ZMW 597

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.93 ZMW 58.3

$5.00 ZMW 99.4

-41.40%

Cappuccino

$1.46 ZMW 29.04

$2.76 ZMW 54.8

-47.10%

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

$0.73 ZMW 14.61

$0.52 ZMW 10.25

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.75

$0.24 ZMW 4.73

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ZMW 15.31

$1.22 ZMW 24.31

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ZMW 20.40

$2.21 ZMW 44.02

-53.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ZMW 32.92

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZMW 20.19

$1.18 ZMW 23.56

-13.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ZMW 30.15

$2.13 ZMW 42.31

-28.64%

Eggs

$1.27 ZMW 25.18

$1.56 ZMW 31.07

-18.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ZMW 202

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ZMW 123

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.56 ZMW 70.8

$6.71 ZMW 133

-46.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.54

$1.47 ZMW 29.27

21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ZMW 30.19

$2.41 ZMW 48.00

-36.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ZMW 58.7

$3.74 ZMW 74.3

-21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 ZMW 14.43

$1.54 ZMW 30.72

-52.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ZMW 50.4

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ZMW 14.34

$1.80 ZMW 35.84

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ZMW 17.67

$1.10 ZMW 21.93

-19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZMW 10.32

$0.58 ZMW 11.60

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ZMW 61.5

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 ZMW 117

$9.83 ZMW 196

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.56

$1.46 ZMW 28.97

-46.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ZMW 19.32

$2.35 ZMW 46.73

-58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZMW 14.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ZMW 51.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 ZMW 30.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZMW 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.78

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

$7,392 ZMW 147.0K

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

$26.9K ZMW 534.7K

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

$80.2 ZMW 1,596

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

$10.45 ZMW 208

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 ZMW 1,098

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ZMW 120

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

$135 ZMW 2,692

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ZMW 324.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.64 ZMW 470

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.39 ZMW 306

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.69 ZMW 909

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ZMW 1,421

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,526

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ZMW 2,948

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 ZMW 7,365

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ZMW 29.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 ZMW 11.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Zimba: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ndola: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zimba

–

Ndola

$223 31.1%

Accommodation & Living

Zimba

–

Ndola

$148 20.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zimba

–

Ndola

$146 20.3%

Eating Out

Zimba

–

Ndola

$106 14.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Zimba

–

Ndola

$70 9.8%

Getting Around

Zimba

–

Ndola

$13 * 1.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Zimba

–

Ndola

$12 * 1.7%

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

Good to know

🇿🇲 Zimba

🇿🇲 Ndola

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

Same time as Zimba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

455,194

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zimba Ndola 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Zimba
Ndola

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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ndola is pricier by about 450%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $196 per month in Zimba and $1,079 in Ndola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $131 in Zimba and $719 in Ndola. That's a gap of about 450%.

Groceries cost about 137% more in Ndola, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $131 in Zimba and $719 in Ndola, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Zimba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Zimba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ndola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.