Kampala vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kampala Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$698
$587
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1738
$1571
🏠 One person rent
$314
$251
🏘️ Family rent
$645
$555
🍽️ Food expenses
$255
$237
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.5
$51.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$178
$275
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
34 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
53
13
😀 Quality of life
44
20
🏙️ Population
1.68M
989K

The cost of living in Kampala is 19% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 6903rd and 7807th ($698 vs $587) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in Uganda and Malawi, respectively. Check Uganda vs Malawi comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.3 months in Kampala compared to 0.5 months in Lilongwe. Kampala ranked 1st best city to live in Uganda vs Lilongwe ranked 4th in Malawi, while ranked 6624th and 8847th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Kampala vs Lilongwe infographic

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Prices in Kampala vs Lilongwe

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

Kampala Lilongwe
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$2.45
$4.27
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$27.1
$24.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.92
$8.14
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.37
$1.37
☕ Cappuccino
$2.65
$2.32
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.49
$0.93
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$352
$373
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$200
$114
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1184
$362
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$387
$474
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$25
$34.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$39
$53.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$50.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
21.44%
12.4%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1111
$10555
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$976
$588
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.82
$0.91
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.8
$11.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$2.68
$5.67
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.68
$0.95
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.23
$0.95
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.34
$1.29
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.78
$2.29
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.09
$13.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.73
$3.29
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.64
$2.36
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$1
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$1.49
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.32
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.26
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.88
$1.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.38
$0.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.5
$1.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.9
$12.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.16
$0.91
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.79
$1.57
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.2
$2.11
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.98
$4.11
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.49
$0.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.29
$0.68
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.5
$28.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.39
$4.17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17
$17
💇 Haircut, simple
$5.64
$3.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$17.5
$23.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$33.6
$49.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$125
$349
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$4369
$2351

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kampala

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Kira Town
$646
32 km or 20 mi Entebbe
$558
70 km or 44 mi Jinja
$562
183 km or 114 mi Tororo
$602
197 km or 122 mi Mbale
$605
212 km or 131 mi Mumias
$490
246 km or 153 mi Kisumu
$522
274 km or 171 mi Gulu
$594
288 km or 179 mi Kasese
$573
294 km or 183 mi Bunia
$801
301 km or 187 mi Eldoret
$483
317 km or 197 mi Mwanza
$625
347 km or 216 mi Beni
$785
350 km or 217 mi Byumba
$613
355 km or 220 mi Arua
$585
366 km or 227 mi Butembo
$768
377 km or 234 mi Kigali
$771
384 km or 238 mi Ruhengeri
$492
393 km or 244 mi Nakuru
$500
431 km or 268 mi Muyinga
$650
432 km or 269 mi Nyanza
$518
432 km or 269 mi Gisenyi
$381
446 km or 277 mi Kibuye
$479
452 km or 281 mi Butare
$413
471 km or 293 mi Ngozi
$648
494 km or 307 mi Ruyigi
$648
503 km or 313 mi Nairobi
$760
510 km or 317 mi Gitega
$651
514 km or 320 mi Cyangugu
$496
516 km or 321 mi Juba
$513
517 km or 321 mi Bubanza
$648
520 km or 323 mi Bukavu
$759
523 km or 325 mi Thika
$589
545 km or 339 mi Bujumbura
$719
551 km or 343 mi Rutana
$648
559 km or 348 mi Machakos
$408
563 km or 350 mi Uvira
$803
564 km or 351 mi Meru
$541
583 km or 362 mi Makamba
$647
613 km or 381 mi Arusha
$638

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$518
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$492
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$493
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$457
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$566
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$507
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$825
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$525
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$461
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$748
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$992
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$794
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$873
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$646
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$675
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$687
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$461
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$752
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$541
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$947
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$872
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$738
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$776
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$917
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1018
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$723
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$875
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$1003
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$730
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1050
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1506
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$597
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1150
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$854
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$700
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$961
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$766
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$502
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$486
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$688