Zambia, All Areas

Country Full Name: Republic of Zambia.

Location: Zambia is in Southern Africa, east of Angola.

Country Climate: Tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April).

Country Terrain: Mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains.

Major Languages: English (official), Bemba, Lozi, Nyanja, Tonga.

Major Religions: Christianity, indigenous beliefs, Hinduism, Islam.

Population: 12.9 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The Zambian economy has historically been based on the copper mining industry. Output of copper had declined over a period of 30 years due to lack of investment, low copper prices, and uncertainty over privatisation. However following privatisation of the industry, copper production has rebounded. The Zambian government is pursuing an economic diversification programme to reduce the economy's reliance on the copper industry.

Currency: Zambian Kwacha (ZMK).

Inflation: 8.7% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in Zambia is low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. All Areas in Zambia is currently ranked 574 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 365 places that are more expensive, and 414 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 641 places that are more expensive, and 138 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 675 places that are more expensive, and 104 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 478 places that are more expensive, and 301 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 231 places that are more expensive, and 548 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 735 places that are more expensive, and 44 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 638 places that are more expensive, and 141 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 474 places that are more expensive, and 305 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 664 places that are more expensive, and 115 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are average compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 364 places that are more expensive, and 415 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 180 places that are more expensive, and 599 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 547 places that are more expensive, and 232 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 539 places that are more expensive, and 240 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for All Areas in Zambia are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, All Areas in Zambia is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in Zambia are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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