Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Zambia 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Zambia is 11.0% higher than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Zambia is 4.6% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Zambia are 17.2% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Zambia are 24.6% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Zambia are 6.0% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Zambia is 78.6% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (8.52 $) |
130.38 R (6.94 $) |
-18.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (37.28 $) |
434.62 R (23.15 $) |
-37.9 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
89.99 R (4.79 $) |
69.96 R (3.73 $) |
-22.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (2.13 $) |
16.58 R (0.88 $) |
-58.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (2.40 $) |
28.38 R (1.51 $) |
-36.9 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.56 R (1.89 $) |
37.94 R (2.02 $) |
+6.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.46 R (0.93 $) |
11.52 R (0.61 $) |
-34.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.58 R (0.72 $) |
6.00 R (0.32 $) |
-55.8 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.61 R (3.92 $) |
89.74 R (4.78 $) |
+21.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.04 R (0.85 $) |
14.13 R (0.75 $) |
-11.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.74 R (0.68 $) |
15.14 R (0.81 $) |
+18.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.49 R (2.16 $) |
28.16 R (1.50 $) |
-30.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.62 R (3.28 $) |
65.68 R (3.50 $) |
+6.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
36.99 R (1.97 $) |
33.97 R (1.81 $) |
-8.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.36 R (2.90 $) |
41.63 R (2.22 $) |
-23.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (0.66 $) |
19.99 R (1.06 $) |
+61.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (0.61 $) |
12.96 R (0.69 $) |
+12.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (0.64 $) |
21.85 R (1.16 $) |
+82.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.28 R (0.65 $) |
9.84 R (0.52 $) |
-19.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.90 R (0.53 $) |
17.16 R (0.91 $) |
+73.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.52 R (0.56 $) |
11.81 R (0.63 $) |
+12.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.60 R (0.99 $) |
17.45 R (0.93 $) |
-6.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (0.90 $) |
10.39 R (0.55 $) |
-38.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (4.53 $) |
120.97 R (6.44 $) |
+42.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.97 R (1.28 $) |
16.55 R (0.88 $) |
-31.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.70 R (1.63 $) |
23.72 R (1.26 $) |
-22.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (2.77 $) |
42.62 R (2.27 $) |
-18.0 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (1.60 $) |
18.58 R (0.99 $) |
-38.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (42.61 $) |
751.05 R (40.00 $) |
-6.1 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (1.07 $) |
47.09 R (2.51 $) |
+135.4 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (1.71 $) |
31.59 R (1.68 $) |
-1.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (4.53 $) |
172.68 R (9.20 $) |
+103.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.78 R (4.62 $) |
86.26 R (4.59 $) |
-0.6 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (19,705.85 $) |
150,294.22 R (8,004.53 $) |
-59.4 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
420,796.63 R (22,411.23 $) |
536,238.63 R (28,559.57 $) |
+27.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.99 R (106.84 $) |
1,372.64 R (73.11 $) |
-31.6 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
564.47 R (30.06 $) |
956.71 R (50.95 $) |
+69.5 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
735.09 R (39.15 $) |
2,351.53 R (125.24 $) |
+219.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
561.62 R (29.91 $) |
787.18 R (41.92 $) |
+40.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
180.96 R (9.64 $) |
259.47 R (13.82 $) |
+43.4 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (6.39 $) |
78.57 R (4.18 $) |
-34.5 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,428.30 R (182.59 $) |
3,319.42 R (176.79 $) |
-3.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
81,293.82 R (4,329.63 $) |
179,978.26 R (9,585.47 $) |
+121.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
872.09 R (46.45 $) |
370.26 R (19.72 $) |
-57.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.94 R (29.40 $) |
329.89 R (17.57 $) |
-40.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,635.55 R (87.11 $) |
1,485.33 R (79.11 $) |
-9.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,412.01 R (75.20 $) |
1,360.01 R (72.43 $) |
-3.7 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,058.38 R (429.18 $) |
3,964.65 R (211.15 $) |
-50.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,555.55 R (349.14 $) |
2,400.78 R (127.86 $) |
-63.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,175.35 R (861.48 $) |
16,229.96 R (864.39 $) |
+0.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,769.83 R (680.11 $) |
13,288.76 R (707.75 $) |
+4.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,692.39 R (90.14 $) |
6,036.58 R (321.50 $) |
+256.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,279.20 R (68.13 $) |
11,047.13 R (588.36 $) |
+763.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Zambia Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,486.18 R (1,250.85 $) |
5,253.96 R (279.82 $) |
-77.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.56 | 25.00 | +116.3 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 663 | 26 |
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