Kigali vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kigali Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$771
$587
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1896
$1571
🏠 One person rent
$419
$251
🏘️ Family rent
$803
$555
🍽️ Food expenses
$218
$237
🚐 Transport expenses
$98.3
$51.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$253
$275
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
28
13
😀 Quality of life
45
20
🏙️ Population
1.16M
989K

The cost of living in Kigali is 31% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 6562nd and 7807th ($771 vs $587) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in Rwanda and Malawi, respectively. Check Rwanda vs Malawi comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.3 months in Kigali compared to 0.5 months in Lilongwe. Kigali ranked 1st best city to live in Rwanda vs Lilongwe ranked 4th in Malawi, while ranked 6577th and 8847th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Kigali vs Lilongwe infographic

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Prices in Kigali vs Lilongwe

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

Kigali Lilongwe
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$2.63
$4.27
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$28.5
$24.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.04
$8.14
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.07
$1.37
☕ Cappuccino
$2.27
$2.32
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.86
$0.93
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$461
$373
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$342
$114
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1132
$362
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$634
$474
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$30.1
$34.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$46
$53.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$22.9
$50.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
16.17%
12.4%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$17658
$10555
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$945
$588
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$0.91
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$26.4
$11.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.9
$5.67
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.16
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.7
$0.95
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.06
$0.95
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.3
$1.29
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.63
$2.29
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.12
$13.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.45
$3.29
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.41
$4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.68
$2.36
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$1.49
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$1.32
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.51
$1.26
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.74
$1.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.51
$0.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.5
$1.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.4
$12.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.87
$0.91
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.78
$1.57
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.58
$2.11
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.74
$4.11
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.67
$0.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.94
$0.68
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$31
$28.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$3.56
$4.17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$16
$17
💇 Haircut, simple
$1.78
$3.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$16.8
$23.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$26.1
$49.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$152
$349
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9282
$2351

Cost of living in other countries

KigaliLilongwe

Cost of living

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kigali

Distance City Cost of living
42 km or 26 mi Byumba
$613
56 km or 35 mi Nyanza
$518
69 km or 43 mi Ruhengeri
$492
80 km or 50 mi Butare
$413
80 km or 50 mi Kibuye
$479
95 km or 59 mi Gisenyi
$381
104 km or 65 mi Muyinga
$650
109 km or 68 mi Ngozi
$648
142 km or 88 mi Cyangugu
$496
145 km or 90 mi Bubanza
$648
148 km or 92 mi Bukavu
$759
164 km or 102 mi Gitega
$651
170 km or 105 mi Ruyigi
$648
177 km or 110 mi Bujumbura
$719
191 km or 119 mi Uvira
$803
219 km or 136 mi Rutana
$648
243 km or 151 mi Kasese
$573
244 km or 152 mi Makamba
$647
246 km or 153 mi Butembo
$768
281 km or 174 mi Beni
$785
322 km or 200 mi Mwanza
$625
348 km or 216 mi Entebbe
$558
377 km or 234 mi Kampala
$698
388 km or 241 mi Kira Town
$646
392 km or 244 mi Bunia
$801
438 km or 272 mi Jinja
$562
451 km or 280 mi Kalemie
$747
473 km or 294 mi Kindu
$746
544 km or 338 mi Tororo
$602
554 km or 344 mi Mumias
$490
561 km or 348 mi Kisumu
$522
562 km or 349 mi Arua
$585
568 km or 353 mi Mbale
$605
581 km or 361 mi Gulu
$594
593 km or 368 mi Isiro
$843
607 km or 377 mi Kisangani
$910
642 km or 399 mi Eldoret
$483
693 km or 431 mi Nakuru
$500
748 km or 465 mi Yambio
$495
752 km or 467 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