Kampala vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kampala Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$654
$367
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1612
$904
🏠 One person rent
$273
$147
🏘️ Family rent
$509
$237
🍽️ Food expenses
$234
$141
🚐 Transport expenses
$93.6
$42.4
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$207
$306
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
34 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
52
13
😀 Quality of life
46
26
🏙️ Population
1.68M
989K

The cost of living in Kampala is 79% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 7156th and 9038th ($654 vs $367) 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 0.8 months in Lilongwe. Kampala ranked 1st best city to live in Uganda vs Lilongwe ranked 2nd in Malawi, while ranked 6597th and 8741st 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
$2.52
$2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$30.2
$17.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.7
$2.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.02
$0.78
 Cappuccino
$2.46
$1.74
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.38
$0.62
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$221
$228
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$152
$75.5
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$697
$277
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$306
$168
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$32.2
$10.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$49
$16.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$75.9
$31.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
19.99%
14.98%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1172
$9504
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9242
$356
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.76
$0.59
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$51.2
$8.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$3.77
$5.44
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.47
$0.99
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.71
$0.83
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.15
$0.69
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$0.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.73
$1.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$7.91
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.42
$1.92
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.91
$3.26
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.55
$1.46
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.4
$0.93
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.58
$2.09
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.25
$0.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$1.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$0.9
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.37
$0.18
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.21
$0.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.95
$7.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.11
$0.68
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.28
$0.88
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.97
$1.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.81
$1.33
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.86
$0.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.29
$0.71
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$54.2
$21.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.64
$3.06
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$15.9
$12.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.36
$1.78
👖 Brand Jeans
$16.4
$25
👟 Brand Sneakers
$39.2
$32.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$177
$217
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$4869
$1424

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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
$600
32 km or 20 mi Entebbe
$547
70 km or 44 mi Jinja
$542
183 km or 114 mi Tororo
$557
197 km or 122 mi Mbale
$557
212 km or 131 mi Mumias
$424
246 km or 153 mi Kisumu
$441
274 km or 171 mi Gulu
$556
288 km or 179 mi Kasese
$543
294 km or 183 mi Bunia
$748
301 km or 187 mi Eldoret
$405
317 km or 197 mi Mwanza
$493
347 km or 216 mi Beni
$747
350 km or 217 mi Byumba
$599
355 km or 220 mi Arua
$553
366 km or 227 mi Butembo
$745
377 km or 234 mi Kigali
$677
384 km or 238 mi Ruhengeri
$575
393 km or 244 mi Nakuru
$439
431 km or 268 mi Muyinga
$449
432 km or 269 mi Nyanza
$539
432 km or 269 mi Gisenyi
$572
446 km or 277 mi Kibuye
$566
452 km or 281 mi Butare
$458
471 km or 293 mi Ngozi
$448
494 km or 307 mi Ruyigi
$446
503 km or 313 mi Nairobi
$646
510 km or 317 mi Gitega
$445
514 km or 320 mi Cyangugu
$554
516 km or 321 mi Juba
$498
517 km or 321 mi Bubanza
$453
520 km or 323 mi Bukavu
$739
523 km or 325 mi Thika
$530
545 km or 339 mi Bujumbura
$493
551 km or 343 mi Rutana
$448
559 km or 348 mi Machakos
$524
563 km or 350 mi Uvira
$776
564 km or 351 mi Meru
$486
583 km or 362 mi Makamba
$449
613 km or 381 mi Arusha
$571

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