Harare vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Harare Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1012
$582
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2579
$1336
🏠 One person rent
$427
$260
🏘️ Family rent
$819
$352
🍽️ Food expenses
$336
$216
🚐 Transport expenses
$175
$57.3
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$381
$278
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
37
13
😀 Quality of life
43
20
🏙️ Population
2.15M
989K

The cost of living in Harare is 74% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 5611th and 7990th ($1012 vs $582) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in Zimbabwe and Malawi, respectively. Check Zimbabwe vs Malawi comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.4 months in Harare compared to 0.5 months in Lilongwe. Harare ranked 1st best city to live in Zimbabwe vs Lilongwe ranked 4th in Malawi, while ranked 6695th and 8861st among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Harare vs Lilongwe infographic

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Prices in Harare vs Lilongwe

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

Harare Lilongwe
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$8.03
$3.23
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$54.8
$25.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.5
$3.86
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.99
$0.93
 Cappuccino
$3.09
$2.43
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.77
$0.92
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$326
$375
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$254
$113
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$900
$363
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$576
$202
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.3
$44.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$53.3
$68.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$124
$49.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
14.99%
12.6%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1328
$10490
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1332
$589
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.99
$0.93
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$42.5
$11.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$21.2
$6.99
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.61
$1.4
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.61
$1.22
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.01
$1.08
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.62
$1.19
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.18
$2.56
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.1
$13.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.13
$3.05
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.44
$5.01
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.02
$2.24
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.69
$1.32
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.16
$2.6
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.87
$1.13
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.57
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.9
$1.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.61
$0.29
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.23
$1.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7
$12.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.13
$0.95
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.24
$1.59
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.93
$2.13
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6
$4.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.67
$0.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.6
$0.67
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$61.9
$33.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$10
$4.11
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$37.2
$17.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$7.18
$3.63
👖 Brand Jeans
$18.2
$23
👟 Brand Sneakers
$34.9
$49.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$249
$350
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$8755
$2358

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Harare

Distance City Cost of living
18 km or 11 mi Chitungwiza
$890
66 km or 41 mi Marondera
$810
105 km or 65 mi Chinhoyi
$830
133 km or 83 mi Kadoma
$729
165 km or 103 mi Kwekwe
$731
213 km or 132 mi Mutare
$662
223 km or 138 mi Gweru
$761
251 km or 156 mi Masvingo
$871
291 km or 181 mi Chimoio
$953
328 km or 204 mi Tete
$834
369 km or 229 mi Bulawayo
$756
399 km or 248 mi Lusaka
$685
447 km or 278 mi Choma
$725
458 km or 284 mi Beira
$1000
478 km or 297 mi Blantyre
$591
498 km or 309 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$894
510 km or 317 mi Ntcheu
$515
514 km or 319 mi Mulanje
$500
518 km or 322 mi Lilongwe
$582
525 km or 326 mi Francistown
$585
531 km or 330 mi Zomba
$498
549 km or 341 mi Livingstone
$670
584 km or 363 mi Mangochi
$516
588 km or 365 mi Monkey Bay
$526
599 km or 372 mi Ndola
$1139
618 km or 384 mi Quelimane
$670
635 km or 394 mi Kitwe
$1116
659 km or 409 mi Mufulira
$1090
665 km or 413 mi Palapye
$554
679 km or 422 mi Serowe
$600
680 km or 422 mi Chingola
$1028
714 km or 444 mi Mzimba
$574
734 km or 456 mi Mahalapye
$663
775 km or 482 mi Mansa
$1017
778 km or 484 mi Mzuzu
$534
786 km or 489 mi Lubumbashi
$1007
847 km or 526 mi Xai-Xai
$1045
847 km or 526 mi Kasama
$1079
892 km or 554 mi Likasi
$939
898 km or 558 mi Middelburg
$841

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$526
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$515
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$516
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$498
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$574
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$591
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$834
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$534
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$500
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$1079
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$1012
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$810
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$890
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$830
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$670
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$894
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$433
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$662
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$1139
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$953
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$1190
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$685
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$1017
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1116
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1090
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$729
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1028
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$1000
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$731
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1007
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1500
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$761
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1394
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$871
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$725
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$939
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$756
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$564
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$639
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$670