Chingola at a glance
- Chingola is the cheapest of Zambia's 10 priced cities: $553 a month in essentials, 14% below Lusaka at $643.
- The average net salary of $262 covers that 0.5×.
- 95.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 12.1 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Zambia cities we track, so every row says whether Chingola is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $553 | $553 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $138 | $138 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $292 | $292 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $116 | $116 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $118 | $118 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $133 | $133 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $48 | $48 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $262 | $262 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $453 | $453 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $826 | $826 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Chingola, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.08 | $5.08 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $27.68 | $27.68 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.61 | $4.61 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.56 | $2.56 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.15 | $1.15 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.08 | $2.08 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.72 | $0.72 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.44 | $0.44 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.50 | $1.50 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.08 | $1.08 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.89 | $1.89 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.74 | $1.74 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.42 | $9.42 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.66 | $5.66 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.38 | $3.38 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.21 | $2.21 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.41 | $1.41 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.34 | $2.34 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.88 | $1.88 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.70 | $0.70 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.99 | $0.99 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $48.49 | $48.49 | same |
| Taxi start | $2.46 | $2.46 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.35 | $1.35 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.49 | $1.49 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $78.83 | $78.83 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $53.89 | $53.89 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $10.15 | $10.15 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $50.16 | $50.16 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.54 | $5.54 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Chingola has 95.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the highest of the 10 Zambia cities we track. Zambia's national figure is 98.6, so Chingola runs 3 below the country as a whole.
Every Zambia region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Chingola ranks against every city we track
Chingola sits ahead of 84% of the 1010 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 78% of 998. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 11% of 991.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Chingola sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Chingola on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Chingola beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Chingola in the research deskOr unlock the Zambia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: BlueSalo, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Data updated