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Cost of living in 8000+ cities on the go.

Cost of Living in Zambia - Updated Prices & Insights

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $634 (excluding rent), and $836 including rent.
Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $1,339 (excluding rent), and $2,139 including rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cost
Range
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.27 ZMW 145
$3.91 ZMW 77.8
$11.64 ZMW 232
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.85 ZMW 455
$20.20 ZMW 403
$32.05 ZMW 639
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.76 ZMW 75.0
$3.67 ZMW 73.2
$3.98 ZMW 79.3
Cappuccino
$1.93 ZMW 38.37
$0.95 ZMW 18.89
$3.41 ZMW 67.9
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ZMW 12.56
$0.44 ZMW 8.69
$0.99 ZMW 19.70
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 ZMW 6.46
$0.25 ZMW 4.94
$0.43 ZMW 8.55
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.89 ZMW 17.67
$0.56 ZMW 11.19
$1.79 ZMW 35.73
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 ZMW 29.66
$1.15 ZMW 23.00
$2.35 ZMW 46.81
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cost
Range
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 ZMW 25.56
$0.79 ZMW 15.82
$1.75 ZMW 34.89
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 ZMW 15.77
$0.56 ZMW 11.21
$1.02 ZMW 20.33
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 ZMW 35.86
$1.15 ZMW 22.96
$4.36 ZMW 86.8
Eggs
$1.47 ZMW 29.25
$0.98 ZMW 19.50
$3.15 ZMW 62.8
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.53 ZMW 150
$3.55 ZMW 70.8
$15.62 ZMW 311
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.02 ZMW 80.2
$2.32 ZMW 46.22
$7.12 ZMW 142
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.79 ZMW 95.4
$2.66 ZMW 53.1
$6.91 ZMW 138
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 ZMW 46.06
$1.24 ZMW 24.69
$3.39 ZMW 67.6
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ZMW 31.19
$0.84 ZMW 16.83
$2.98 ZMW 59.3
Oranges (1kg)
$2.58 ZMW 51.5
$1.19 ZMW 23.62
$3.78 ZMW 75.3
Tomato (1kg)
$1.18 ZMW 23.52
$0.39 ZMW 7.70
$2.03 ZMW 40.55
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 ZMW 40.41
$0.53 ZMW 10.66
$5.22 ZMW 104
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ZMW 27.45
$0.72 ZMW 14.42
$2.68 ZMW 53.3
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 ZMW 19.08
$0.40 ZMW 8.00
$1.36 ZMW 27.08
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ZMW 10.74
$0.30 ZMW 6.05
$0.90 ZMW 17.96
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26 ZMW 45.02
$1.81 ZMW 36.10
$3.84 ZMW 76.6
Wine (Bottle)
$6.34 ZMW 126
$4.49 ZMW 89.6
$14.83 ZMW 295
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ZMW 17.87
$0.58 ZMW 11.57
$1.55 ZMW 30.86
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 ZMW 24.63
$0.75 ZMW 14.86
$2.54 ZMW 50.6
🚌 Getting Around
Cost
Range
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 ZMW 20.19
$0.57 ZMW 11.42
$1.89 ZMW 37.73
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.26 ZMW 782
$30.05 ZMW 599
$52.5 ZMW 1,046
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.46 ZMW 49.12
$1.78 ZMW 35.42
$3.00 ZMW 59.9
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ZMW 20.46
$0.49 ZMW 9.74
$1.65 ZMW 32.94
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.03 ZMW 180
$9.02 ZMW 180
$10.77 ZMW 215
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 ZMW 24.37
$1.16 ZMW 23.17
$1.37 ZMW 27.40
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,988 ZMW 159.2K
$6,808 ZMW 135.7K
$9,167 ZMW 182.7K
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.8K ZMW 573.5K
$6,171 ZMW 123.0K
$32.2K ZMW 642.6K
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cost
Range
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.9 ZMW 1,712
$38.45 ZMW 766
$201 ZMW 4,003
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.0 ZMW 1,016
$5.68 ZMW 113
$100 ZMW 1,995
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$124 ZMW 2,470
$43.10 ZMW 859
$198 ZMW 3,944
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cost
Range
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.30 ZMW 823
$17.88 ZMW 356
$56.6 ZMW 1,128
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.65 ZMW 272
$9.22 ZMW 184
$18.69 ZMW 372
Cinema Ticket
$4.21 ZMW 83.8
$2.28 ZMW 45.53
$5.03 ZMW 100
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cost
Range
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$178 ZMW 3,552
$60.5 ZMW 1,206
$309 ZMW 6,153
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,698 ZMW 193.3K
$4,047 ZMW 80.7K
$20.2K ZMW 403.3K
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cost
Range
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.37 ZMW 386
$13.40 ZMW 267
$22.34 ZMW 445
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.27 ZMW 344
$7.88 ZMW 157
$35.76 ZMW 713
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.6 ZMW 1,546
$44.59 ZMW 889
$108 ZMW 2,162
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ZMW 1,464
$43.40 ZMW 865
$92.3 ZMW 1,839
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cost
Range
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$210 ZMW 4,195
$134 ZMW 2,663
$299 ZMW 5,960
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$127 ZMW 2,531
$90.3 ZMW 1,800
$179 ZMW 3,563
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$876 ZMW 17.5K
$466 ZMW 9,279
$2,026 ZMW 40.4K
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$713 ZMW 14.2K
$270 ZMW 5,388
$1,511 ZMW 30.1K
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,945 ZMW 38.8K
$1,887 ZMW 37.6K
$1,968 ZMW 39.2K
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,156 ZMW 102.8K
$709 ZMW 14.1K
$16.4K ZMW 327.3K
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cost
Range
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$343 ZMW 6,830
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
25
6.5
30

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

Last update: January 18, 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
107051
$539 $625 $1,269 $1,255
14.04
50.86
2
210073
$271 $340 $751 $798
33.38
120
3
117517
$511 $613 $1,181 $1,243
172.55
140.89
4
-
34 $535 $674 $1,152 $1,351
119.39
273.15
5
-
46.42
200.11
6
-
44.26
150.03
7
-
25.25
344.49
8
113000
292.61
43.89
9
46171
17.04
29.59
10
522092
$226 $223 $543 $502
313.64
60.61
11
136897
$177 $172 $505 $444
178.22
68.55
12
1742979
43 $643 $850 $1,403 $2,046
231
54.09
13
-
27.14
95.27
14
455194
36 $515 $710 $1,213 $2,642
141.9
91.31
15
1000000
57.29
150.03
16
-
$103 $109 $206 $233
-
88.25
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cost of Living in Zambia - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the overall affordability of Zambia differ for travelers, expats, and digital nomads, and who tends to get good value there?
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.
What does daily life look like in Zambia, including housing search, food options, transport, co-working, and errands?
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.
How would you describe the quality of life in Zambia, budgeting approaches, and neighborhood fit across seasons?
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.

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