Dar es Salaam vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Dar es Salaam Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$720
$367
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2111
$904
🏠 One person rent
$315
$147
🏘️ Family rent
$775
$237
🍽️ Food expenses
$223
$141
🚐 Transport expenses
$126
$42.4
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$255
$306
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
44
13
😀 Quality of life
55
26
🏙️ Population
4.72M
989K

The cost of living in Dar es Salaam is 96% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 6696th and 9038th ($720 vs $367) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 0.8 months in Lilongwe. Dar es Salaam ranked 1st best city to live in Tanzania vs Lilongwe ranked 2nd in Malawi, while ranked 5965th and 8741st among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Dar es Salaam vs Lilongwe infographic

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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
$1.95
$2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$23.5
$17.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.89
$2.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.99
$0.78
 Cappuccino
$2.12
$1.74
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.43
$0.62
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$345
$228
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$220
$75.5
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$924
$277
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$630
$168
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$29
$10.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$44.9
$16.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$41.3
$31.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
13.2%
14.98%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5163
$9504
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6621
$356
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.25
$0.59
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$16.7
$8.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.2
$5.44
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.18
$0.99
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.09
$0.83
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.78
$0.69
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$0.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.74
$1.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.63
$7.91
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.18
$1.92
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$3.26
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.3
$1.46
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.25
$0.93
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.68
$2.09
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.08
$0.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.7
$1.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.2
$0.9
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.24
$0.18
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.07
$0.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.86
$7.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.03
$0.68
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.78
$0.88
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.13
$1.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.76
$1.33
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.24
$0.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.96
$0.71
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$49.7
$21.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$3.96
$3.06
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18
$12.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.57
$1.78
👖 Brand Jeans
$11.2
$25
👟 Brand Sneakers
$74.2
$32.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$328
$217
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14488
$1424

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
$762
71 km or 44 mi Stone Town
$706
179 km or 111 mi Morogoro
$600
194 km or 120 mi Tanga
$622
309 km or 192 mi Mombasa
$493
395 km or 246 mi Dodoma
$581
409 km or 254 mi Malindi
$452
441 km or 274 mi Moshi
$536
478 km or 297 mi Arusha
$571
629 km or 391 mi Machakos
$524
671 km or 417 mi Nairobi
$646
684 km or 425 mi Mbeya
$457
684 km or 425 mi Thika
$530
698 km or 434 mi Moroni
$587
700 km or 435 mi Pemba
$1144
774 km or 481 mi Mzuzu
$338
783 km or 486 mi Meru
$486
808 km or 502 mi Nakuru
$439
836 km or 520 mi Domoni
$585
843 km or 524 mi Mzimba
$337
853 km or 530 mi Mwanza
$493
864 km or 537 mi Nacala
$1127
899 km or 559 mi Kisumu
$441
925 km or 575 mi Nampula
$1165
927 km or 576 mi Eldoret
$405
931 km or 578 mi Mamoudzou
$1506
938 km or 583 mi Monkey Bay
$335
955 km or 594 mi Mumias
$424
959 km or 596 mi Mangochi
$332
969 km or 602 mi Kasama
$1176
1000 km or 621 mi Lilongwe
$367
1007 km or 626 mi Tororo
$557
1026 km or 637 mi Ntcheu
$332
1044 km or 648 mi Mbale
$557
1047 km or 651 mi Zomba
$326
1049 km or 652 mi Jinja
$542
1067 km or 663 mi Ruyigi
$446
1074 km or 667 mi Entebbe
$547
1076 km or 668 mi Rutana
$448
1084 km or 674 mi Muyinga
$449

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$335
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$332
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$332
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$326
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$337
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$363
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$970
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$338
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$327
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$1176
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$957
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$761
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$852
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$784
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$992
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$968
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$457
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$645
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$1210
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$993
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$1165
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$777
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$1121
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1238
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1236
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$689
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1107
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$1014
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$691
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1025
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1144
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$722
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1127
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$837
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$795
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$953
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$777
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$581
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$600
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$734