Kigali vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kigali Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$677
$367
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1633
$904
🏠 One person rent
$323
$147
🏘️ Family rent
$549
$237
🍽️ Food expenses
$238
$141
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$42.4
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$265
$306
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
28
13
😀 Quality of life
47
26
🏙️ Population
1.16M
989K

The cost of living in Kigali is 85% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 6978th and 9038th ($677 vs $367) 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 0.4 months in Kigali compared to 0.8 months in Lilongwe. Kigali ranked 1st best city to live in Rwanda vs Lilongwe ranked 2nd in Malawi, while ranked 6517th and 8741st 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
$3.32
$2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$31.6
$17.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.2
$2.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.98
$0.78
 Cappuccino
$2.06
$1.74
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.73
$0.62
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$414
$228
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$235
$75.5
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$792
$277
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$408
$168
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$24.3
$10.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$36.8
$16.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$27.5
$31.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
16.79%
14.98%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$13256
$9504
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$800
$356
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.78
$0.59
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$21.2
$8.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.2
$5.44
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.26
$0.99
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.83
$0.83
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.03
$0.69
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.31
$0.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.61
$1.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$7.91
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.41
$1.92
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.65
$3.26
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.55
$1.46
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.14
$0.93
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.92
$2.09
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$0.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.48
$1.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.63
$0.9
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.5
$0.18
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.67
$0.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.57
$7.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.85
$0.68
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.91
$0.88
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5
$1.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.02
$1.33
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.74
$0.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.04
$0.71
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$31.4
$21.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$3.14
$3.06
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$16.9
$12.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$1.92
$1.78
👖 Brand Jeans
$21.3
$25
👟 Brand Sneakers
$28.2
$32.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$204
$217
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$6579
$1424

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$599
56 km or 35 mi Nyanza
$539
69 km or 43 mi Ruhengeri
$575
80 km or 50 mi Butare
$458
80 km or 50 mi Kibuye
$566
95 km or 59 mi Gisenyi
$572
104 km or 65 mi Muyinga
$449
109 km or 68 mi Ngozi
$448
142 km or 88 mi Cyangugu
$554
145 km or 90 mi Bubanza
$453
148 km or 92 mi Bukavu
$739
164 km or 102 mi Gitega
$445
170 km or 105 mi Ruyigi
$446
177 km or 110 mi Bujumbura
$493
191 km or 119 mi Uvira
$776
219 km or 136 mi Rutana
$448
243 km or 151 mi Kasese
$543
244 km or 152 mi Makamba
$449
246 km or 153 mi Butembo
$745
281 km or 174 mi Beni
$747
322 km or 200 mi Mwanza
$493
348 km or 216 mi Entebbe
$547
377 km or 234 mi Kampala
$654
388 km or 241 mi Kira Town
$600
392 km or 244 mi Bunia
$748
438 km or 272 mi Jinja
$542
451 km or 280 mi Kalemie
$746
473 km or 294 mi Kindu
$740
544 km or 338 mi Tororo
$557
554 km or 344 mi Mumias
$424
561 km or 348 mi Kisumu
$441
562 km or 349 mi Arua
$553
568 km or 353 mi Mbale
$557
581 km or 361 mi Gulu
$556
593 km or 368 mi Isiro
$808
607 km or 377 mi Kisangani
$860
642 km or 399 mi Eldoret
$405
693 km or 431 mi Nakuru
$439
748 km or 465 mi Yambio
$476
752 km or 467 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