Cost of Living in Zambia - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Zambia
Address: ZM

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $641 (excluding rent), and $850 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $1,340 (excluding rent), and $2,161 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 ZMW 132

$3.72 ZMW 70.7

$11.07 ZMW 211

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 ZMW 438

$20.35 ZMW 387

$32.29 ZMW 614

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 ZMW 68.3

$3.50 ZMW 66.6

$3.80 ZMW 72.2

Cappuccino

$1.99 ZMW 37.89

$0.98 ZMW 18.65

$3.52 ZMW 67.0

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

$0.64 ZMW 12.17

$0.44 ZMW 8.42

$1.00 ZMW 19.09

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ZMW 6.24

$0.25 ZMW 4.77

$0.43 ZMW 8.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ZMW 16.87

$0.56 ZMW 10.68

$1.79 ZMW 34.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ZMW 27.26

$1.11 ZMW 21.14

$2.26 ZMW 43.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ZMW 24.16

$0.79 ZMW 14.95

$1.73 ZMW 32.98

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ZMW 16.15

$0.60 ZMW 11.48

$1.09 ZMW 20.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 ZMW 33.31

$1.12 ZMW 21.34

$4.24 ZMW 80.7

Eggs

$1.52 ZMW 28.97

$1.02 ZMW 19.31

$3.27 ZMW 62.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 ZMW 148

$3.66 ZMW 69.7

$16.11 ZMW 306

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 ZMW 76.4

$2.32 ZMW 44.07

$7.11 ZMW 135

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.91 ZMW 93.4

$2.73 ZMW 51.9

$7.09 ZMW 135

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ZMW 45.42

$1.28 ZMW 24.35

$3.51 ZMW 66.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ZMW 29.65

$0.84 ZMW 16.00

$2.96 ZMW 56.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 ZMW 49.31

$1.19 ZMW 22.64

$3.79 ZMW 72.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ZMW 22.53

$0.39 ZMW 7.38

$2.04 ZMW 38.85

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 ZMW 38.98

$0.54 ZMW 10.28

$5.27 ZMW 100

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ZMW 25.70

$0.71 ZMW 13.50

$2.62 ZMW 49.93

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ZMW 18.20

$0.40 ZMW 7.63

$1.36 ZMW 25.83

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ZMW 10.67

$0.32 ZMW 6.01

$0.94 ZMW 17.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 ZMW 44.36

$1.87 ZMW 35.56

$3.97 ZMW 75.4

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 ZMW 120

$4.47 ZMW 85.0

$14.74 ZMW 280

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ZMW 16.42

$0.56 ZMW 10.64

$1.49 ZMW 28.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ZMW 24.30

$0.77 ZMW 14.65

$2.63 ZMW 49.94

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZMW 18.40

$0.55 ZMW 10.41

$1.81 ZMW 34.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.55 ZMW 771

$31.04 ZMW 590

$54.2 ZMW 1,031

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ZMW 47.25

$1.79 ZMW 34.07

$3.03 ZMW 57.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ZMW 20.55

$0.51 ZMW 9.78

$1.74 ZMW 33.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 ZMW 175

$9.21 ZMW 175

$10.99 ZMW 209

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ZMW 22.51

$1.12 ZMW 21.39

$1.33 ZMW 25.30

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

$7,927 ZMW 150.8K

$6,757 ZMW 128.5K

$9,098 ZMW 173.0K

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

$28.5K ZMW 542.1K

$6,112 ZMW 116.2K

$31.9K ZMW 607.4K

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

$86.0 ZMW 1,635

$38.48 ZMW 732

$201 ZMW 3,823

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

$50.1 ZMW 954

$5.58 ZMW 106

$98.4 ZMW 1,872

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 ZMW 2,388

$43.66 ZMW 830

$200 ZMW 3,813

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.62 ZMW 811

$18.45 ZMW 351

$58.4 ZMW 1,111

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ZMW 266

$9.43 ZMW 179

$19.12 ZMW 364

Cinema Ticket

$4.16 ZMW 79.1

$2.26 ZMW 42.96

$4.98 ZMW 94.6

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

$174 ZMW 3,313

$59.1 ZMW 1,124

$302 ZMW 5,738

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,529 ZMW 181.2K

$3,976 ZMW 75.6K

$19.9K ZMW 378.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.33 ZMW 368

$13.37 ZMW 254

$22.29 ZMW 424

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.52 ZMW 333

$8.00 ZMW 152

$36.27 ZMW 690

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 ZMW 1,496

$45.22 ZMW 860

$110 ZMW 2,092

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ZMW 1,355

$42.08 ZMW 800

$89.5 ZMW 1,701

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 ZMW 4,010

$134 ZMW 2,545

$300 ZMW 5,698

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 ZMW 2,416

$90.4 ZMW 1,719

$179 ZMW 3,402

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 ZMW 16.2K

$452 ZMW 8,588

$1,965 ZMW 37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ZMW 13.6K

$272 ZMW 5,173

$1,520 ZMW 28.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,982 ZMW 37.7K

$1,923 ZMW 36.6K

$2,006 ZMW 38.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,083 ZMW 96.7K

$699 ZMW 13.3K

$16.2K ZMW 307.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$386 ZMW 7,348

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

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

Last update: January 31, 2026

By City in Zambia

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Chilanga	107051		$549	$618	$1,078	$1,240	14.04	50.86
2	Chingola	210073		$308	$336	$830	$820	33.38	120
3	Kabwe	117517		$598	$625	$1,274	$1,206	172.55	140.89
4	Kafue	-	34	$613	$670	$1,087	$1,386	119.39	273.15
5	Kalomo	-						46.42	200.11
6	Kansanshi	-						44.26	150.03
7	Kaoma	-						25.25	344.49
8	Kasama	113000						292.61	43.89
9	Kawambwa	46171						17.04	29.59
10	Kitwe	522092		$219	$224	$553	$502	313.64	60.61
11	Livingstone	136897		$169	$175	$444	$457	178.22	68.55
12	Lusaka	1742979	43	$657	$860	$1,400	$2,097	231	54.09
13	Namwala	-						27.14	95.27
14	Ndola	455194	36	$439	$719	$987	$2,662	141.9	91.31
15	Solwezi	1000000						57.29	150.03
16	Zimba	-		$105	$111	$201	$236	-	88.25

Zambia Median Internet Speeds (Updated January 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Zambia - Frequently Asked Questions

Cost of Living in Zambia varies by city and lifestyle. Urban centers offer more options but can feel pricier than rural areas, while budget-friendly choices appear in guesthouses, local markets, and community amenities. For travelers, expats, and digital nomads, value comes from mixing affordable everyday services with smart housing and transport decisions. Local markets, casual eateries, and cheaper public transport tend to keep the baseline comfortable, while occasional imported goods or premium services raise the bill. A practical approach is to blend low-cost routines with selective upgrades to support work needs. Tip: build a simple weekly plan to balance higher and lower-cost days.

Daily life in Zambia blends practicality with choice. For housing, look beyond the capital to regional towns where leases feel more negotiable and utilities are more affordable. Food options are abundant in local markets and affordable eateries, making home cooking a reliable saver. Transport ranges from shared minibuses to ride-hailing in cities, with walking or cycling viable in compact neighborhoods. Co-working spaces exist in major hubs, and cafes can serve as quick work spots. Erands are smoother when you know market hours and vendor rhythms. Zambia living cost shifts by location and season; plan a flexible routine to balance busy days with downtime. Tip: map a weekly route that covers work, shopping, and rest.

Quality of life in Zambia varies by neighborhood and pace. A practical budgeting framework helps you stay on track: set core categories (housing, food, transport, and activities), track a few essential expenses, and adjust with the seasons. Smart saving comes from choosing local groceries, cooking at home, using shared workspaces, and negotiating longer leases when possible. To find the right fit, visit a mix of areas – from city centers to quieter suburbs or lakeside zones – and test commute times and access to services. Seasonal shifts can affect crowds and prices, so keep a flexible plan. Tip: keep a small buffer for unexpected costs and sample several districts before committing.