Lusaka at a glance
- Lusaka is the most expensive of Zambia's 2 priced cities: $643 a month in essentials, 8% above Ndola at $593.
- The average net salary of $328 covers that 0.5×.
- 90.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.7 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.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $643 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $184 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $389 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $132 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $134 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $141 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $52 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $328 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $604 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,101 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Lusaka, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.77 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $31.45 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.24 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.91 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.31 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.36 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.82 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.50 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.71 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.23 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.15 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.98 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.70 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.43 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.84 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.51 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.60 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.66 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.14 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.80 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.05 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $51.59 |
| Taxi start | $2.62 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.44 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.58 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $83.86 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $57.33 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $10.80 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $57.00 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.29 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Lusaka has 90.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 9th-highest of 10 Zambia cities we track. Zambia's national figure is 98.6, so Lusaka runs 8 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Lusaka ranks against every city we track
Lusaka sits ahead of 92% of the 892 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On cost of living it is ahead of 79% of 542. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 7% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Lusaka sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Matthew Grollnek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
