Dar es Salaam vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Dar es Salaam Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$799
$592
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2068
$1419
🏠 One person rent
$363
$250
🏘️ Family rent
$605
$390
🍽️ Food expenses
$244
$241
🚐 Transport expenses
$130
$51.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$288
$105
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
45
12
😀 Quality of life
59
25
🏙️ Population
4.72M
989K

The cost of living in Dar es Salaam is 35% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 6675th and 7884th ($799 vs $592) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in Tanzania and Malawi, respectively. Check Tanzania vs Malawi comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.4 months in Dar es Salaam compared to 0.2 months in Lilongwe. Dar es Salaam ranked 1st best city to live in Tanzania vs Lilongwe ranked 7th in Malawi, while ranked 6017th and 8966th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Dar es Salaam vs Lilongwe infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Dar es Salaam vs Lilongwe

Prices for goods and services in Dar es Salaam and Lilongwe are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Dar es Salaam Lilongwe
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$3.25
$4.27
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$19.3
$24.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.3
$8.09
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.02
$1.55
☕ Cappuccino
$2.09
$2.34
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.41
$1.43
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$419
$374
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$235
$114
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$737
$603
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$422
$207
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$55.2
$34.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$84.4
$53.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$36.1
$50.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
19.82%
12.87%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1361
$10587
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1189
$593
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.27
$0.92
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$15.8
$11.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.8
$5.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.25
$1.34
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.13
$1.06
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.82
$1.07
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.42
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.15
$2.27
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.75
$13.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.96
$3.25
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.42
$4.01
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.73
$2.38
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.97
$1.24
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$1.5
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.97
$1.34
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.97
$1.26
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.32
$0.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.3
$1.13
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.7
$12
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.98
$0.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.14
$1.57
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.29
$2.12
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.94
$4.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.28
$0.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1
$0.66
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$87.5
$29.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.52
$4.17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.8
$17
💇 Haircut, simple
$5.61
$3.59
👖 Brand Jeans
$22.3
$23
👟 Brand Sneakers
$40.7
$49.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$435
$353
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$17749
$2356

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Dar es Salaam

Distance City Cost of living
71 km or 44 mi Zanzibar
$609
71 km or 44 mi Stone Town
$567
179 km or 111 mi Morogoro
$421
194 km or 120 mi Tanga
$552
309 km or 192 mi Mombasa
$596
395 km or 246 mi Dodoma
$526
409 km or 254 mi Malindi
$548
441 km or 274 mi Moshi
$533
478 km or 297 mi Arusha
$612
629 km or 391 mi Machakos
$420
671 km or 417 mi Nairobi
$811
684 km or 425 mi Mbeya
$495
684 km or 425 mi Thika
$460
698 km or 434 mi Moroni
$1207
700 km or 435 mi Pemba
$1511
774 km or 481 mi Mzuzu
$527
783 km or 486 mi Meru
$549
808 km or 502 mi Nakuru
$503
836 km or 520 mi Domoni
$1207
843 km or 524 mi Mzimba
$565
853 km or 530 mi Mwanza
$656
864 km or 537 mi Nacala
$1168
899 km or 559 mi Kisumu
$543
925 km or 575 mi Nampula
$935
927 km or 576 mi Eldoret
$528
931 km or 578 mi Mamoudzou
$1624
938 km or 583 mi Monkey Bay
$519
955 km or 594 mi Mumias
$511
959 km or 596 mi Mangochi
$496
969 km or 602 mi Kasama
$888
1000 km or 621 mi Lilongwe
$592
1007 km or 626 mi Tororo
$623
1026 km or 637 mi Ntcheu
$493
1044 km or 648 mi Mbale
$654
1047 km or 651 mi Zomba
$458
1049 km or 652 mi Jinja
$582
1067 km or 663 mi Ruyigi
$687
1074 km or 667 mi Entebbe
$578
1076 km or 668 mi Rutana
$688
1084 km or 674 mi Muyinga
$687

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$519
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$493
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$496
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$458
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$565
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$506
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$820
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$527
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$461
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$888
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$1021
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$779
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$751
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$650
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$692
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$748
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$495
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$755
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$577
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$916
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$935
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$655
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$912
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1062
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1278
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$761
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1069
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$996
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$716
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1124
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1511
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$587
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1168
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$873
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$687
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$1032
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$658
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$526
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$421
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$653