Johannesburg vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$908
$367
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2207
$904
🏠 One person rent
$403
$147
🏘️ Family rent
$738
$237
🍽️ Food expenses
$254
$141
🚐 Transport expenses
$173
$42.4
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1428
$306
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
72
13
😀 Quality of life
61
26
🏙️ Population
4.43M
989K

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 148% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 5921st and 9038th ($908 vs $367) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in South Africa and Malawi, respectively. Check South Africa vs Malawi comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Johannesburg compared to 0.8 months in Lilongwe. Johannesburg ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs Lilongwe ranked 2nd in Malawi, while ranked 5184th and 8741st among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Johannesburg vs Lilongwe infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Johannesburg vs Lilongwe

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

Johannesburg Lilongwe
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$7.41
$2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$35.4
$17.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$4.44
$2.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.09
$0.78
☕ Cappuccino
$1.82
$1.74
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.98
$0.62
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$350
$228
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$277
$75.5
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$667
$277
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$564
$168
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$71.1
$10.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$114
$16.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$39.6
$31.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.12%
14.98%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$840
$9504
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$689
$356
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.78
$0.59
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$66
$8.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.26
$5.44
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.23
$0.99
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.09
$0.83
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.9
$0.69
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.35
$0.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.11
$1.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.94
$7.91
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.54
$1.92
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.88
$3.26
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.5
$1.46
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$0.93
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$2.09
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.52
$0.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.31
$1.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.43
$0.9
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.54
$0.18
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.36
$0.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$5.33
$7.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.16
$0.68
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.88
$0.88
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.76
$1.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.7
$1.33
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.91
$0.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.11
$0.71
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$31.4
$21.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.28
$3.06
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$27.3
$12.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.37
$1.78
👖 Brand Jeans
$45
$25
👟 Brand Sneakers
$83.7
$32.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$232
$217
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$4829
$1424

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Sandton
$889
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$776
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$875
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$741
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$631
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$755
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$783
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$637
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$698
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$751
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$845
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$625
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$746
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$866
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$621
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$701
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$682
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$719
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$631
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$656
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$511
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$633
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$558
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$739
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$603
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$511
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$447
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$535
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$605
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$601
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$511
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$511
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$753
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$609
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$978
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$554
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$1084
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$780
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$550
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$952

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