Dar es Salaam vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Dar es Salaam Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$735
$587
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1928
$1406
🏠 One person rent
$334
$251
🏘️ Family rent
$567
$391
🍽️ Food expenses
$222
$236
🚐 Transport expenses
$122
$51.5
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$103
$107
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
46
14
😀 Quality of life
55
29
🏙️ Population
4.72M
989K

The cost of living in Dar es Salaam is 25% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 7084th and 8094th ($735 vs $587) 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 0.1 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 2nd in Malawi, while ranked 6319th and 8818th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$3.04
$4.43
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$17.9
$24.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.56
$7.88
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.98
$1.55
☕ Cappuccino
$1.95
$2.32
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.37
$1.43
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$537
$373
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$184
$114
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$989
$608
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$332
$207
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$43.4
$34.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$68.2
$53.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$35.5
$50.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
18.2%
12.88%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1532
$7658
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1077
$432
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.25
$0.93
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$14.9
$11.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.9
$5.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.18
$1.31
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.92
$0.95
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.68
$0.98
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$1.32
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.92
$2.32
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.92
$13
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.92
$3.08
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.08
$3.97
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.66
$2.25
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$1.25
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.99
$1.5
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.02
$1.29
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.92
$1.09
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$1.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.25
$0.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.23
$1.07
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.86
$11.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.88
$0.88
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.29
$1.71
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.09
$2.11
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.72
$4.1
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.2
$0.76
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.95
$0.67
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$82.4
$28.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.19
$4.53
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$16.8
$16.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.07
$3.62
👖 Brand Jeans
$16.4
$23.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$44.7
$49.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$570
$350
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13482
$2337

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Dar es Salaam

Distance City Cost of living
71 km or 44 mi Zanzibar
$586
71 km or 44 mi Stone Town
$546
179 km or 111 mi Morogoro
$417
194 km or 120 mi Tanga
$533
309 km or 192 mi Mombasa
$611
395 km or 246 mi Dodoma
$495
409 km or 254 mi Malindi
$563
441 km or 274 mi Moshi
$540
478 km or 297 mi Arusha
$618
629 km or 391 mi Machakos
$415
671 km or 417 mi Nairobi
$807
684 km or 425 mi Mbeya
$463
684 km or 425 mi Thika
$448
698 km or 434 mi Moroni
$1196
700 km or 435 mi Pemba
$1511
774 km or 481 mi Mzuzu
$522
783 km or 486 mi Meru
$543
808 km or 502 mi Nakuru
$532
836 km or 520 mi Domoni
$1196
843 km or 524 mi Mzimba
$559
853 km or 530 mi Mwanza
$613
864 km or 537 mi Nacala
$1167
899 km or 559 mi Kisumu
$549
925 km or 575 mi Nampula
$933
927 km or 576 mi Eldoret
$513
931 km or 578 mi Mamoudzou
$1603
938 km or 583 mi Monkey Bay
$516
955 km or 594 mi Mumias
$524
959 km or 596 mi Mangochi
$494
969 km or 602 mi Kasama
$1132
1000 km or 621 mi Lilongwe
$587
1007 km or 626 mi Tororo
$603
1026 km or 637 mi Ntcheu
$489
1044 km or 648 mi Mbale
$624
1047 km or 651 mi Zomba
$452
1049 km or 652 mi Jinja
$573
1067 km or 663 mi Ruyigi
$688
1074 km or 667 mi Entebbe
$531
1076 km or 668 mi Rutana
$690
1084 km or 674 mi Muyinga
$688

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$516
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$489
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$494
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$452
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$559
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$495
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$792
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$522
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$456
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$1132
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$1015
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$755
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$780
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$629
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$691
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$925
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$463
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$754
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$692
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$875
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$933
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$777
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$1166
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1304
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1602
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$727
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1378
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$952
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$677
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1125
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1511
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$565
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1167
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$840
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$849
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$1029
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$632
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$495
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$417
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$813