Kigali vs Lilongwe - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kigali Lilongwe
🚶 Cost of living one person
$811
$591
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1927
$1409
🏠 One person rent
$439
$250
🏘️ Family rent
$776
$382
🍽️ Food expenses
$217
$241
🚐 Transport expenses
$106
$51.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$180
$121
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
30
14
😀 Quality of life
49
30
🏙️ Population
1.75M
989K

The cost of living in Kigali is 37% more expensive than in Lilongwe. Cities ranked 6714th and 8027th ($811 vs $591) 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 0.2 months in Kigali compared to 0.2 months in Lilongwe. Kigali ranked 1st best city to live in Rwanda vs Lilongwe ranked 3rd in Malawi, while ranked 6822nd and 8837th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$2.3
$4.25
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$27.7
$24.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.82
$8.08
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.03
$1.54
☕ Cappuccino
$2.38
$2.31
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.86
$1.43
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$587
$373
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$332
$112
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1052
$601
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$613
$198
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$35.6
$34.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.6
$52.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$20.6
$50.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
16.19%
12.71%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$12689
$9004
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1093
$506
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.34
$0.91
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$25.7
$11.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.7
$5.64
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.24
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.65
$1.05
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.04
$1.09
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.42
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.65
$2.28
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.5
$13.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.59
$3.28
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.84
$3.98
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.52
$2.38
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.81
$1.23
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.49
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$1.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.49
$1.25
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.82
$1.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.53
$0.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.4
$1.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.4
$12.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.07
$0.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.71
$1.74
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.45
$2.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.65
$4.11
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.77
$0.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.9
$0.66
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$30
$28.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$3.44
$4.53
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.1
$17.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.06
$3.64
👖 Brand Jeans
$17.5
$22.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$61.9
$48.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$166
$349
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9138
$2330

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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
$620
56 km or 35 mi Nyanza
$544
69 km or 43 mi Ruhengeri
$518
80 km or 50 mi Butare
$409
80 km or 50 mi Kibuye
$507
95 km or 59 mi Gisenyi
$395
104 km or 65 mi Muyinga
$691
109 km or 68 mi Ngozi
$692
142 km or 88 mi Cyangugu
$517
145 km or 90 mi Bubanza
$693
148 km or 92 mi Bukavu
$798
164 km or 102 mi Gitega
$694
170 km or 105 mi Ruyigi
$693
177 km or 110 mi Bujumbura
$759
191 km or 119 mi Uvira
$839
219 km or 136 mi Rutana
$691
243 km or 151 mi Kasese
$572
244 km or 152 mi Makamba
$691
246 km or 153 mi Butembo
$798
281 km or 174 mi Beni
$810
322 km or 200 mi Mwanza
$623
348 km or 216 mi Entebbe
$563
377 km or 234 mi Kampala
$722
388 km or 241 mi Kira Town
$670
392 km or 244 mi Bunia
$825
438 km or 272 mi Jinja
$593
451 km or 280 mi Kalemie
$786
473 km or 294 mi Kindu
$785
544 km or 338 mi Tororo
$624
554 km or 344 mi Mumias
$505
561 km or 348 mi Kisumu
$533
562 km or 349 mi Arua
$617
568 km or 353 mi Mbale
$651
581 km or 361 mi Gulu
$627
593 km or 368 mi Isiro
$876
607 km or 377 mi Kisangani
$961
642 km or 399 mi Eldoret
$520
693 km or 431 mi Nakuru
$508
748 km or 465 mi Yambio
$507
752 km or 467 mi Arusha
$602

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$521
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$495
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$496
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$458
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$530
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$505
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$828
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$527
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$461
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$1002
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$1024
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$768
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$770
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$639
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$692
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$815
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$469
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$764
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$613
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$924
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$935
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$686
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$1030
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1189
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1473
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$754
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1229
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$1000
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$706
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1133
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1521
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$577
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1181
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$861
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$750
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$1039
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$630
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$506
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$408
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$718