Lilongwe vs Lusaka - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Lusaka
🚶 Cost of living one person
$591
$686
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1409
$1784
🏠 One person rent
$250
$237
🏘️ Family rent
$382
$381
🍽️ Food expenses
$241
$263
🚐 Transport expenses
$51.6
$127
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$121
$113
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
14
35
😀 Quality of life
30
50
🏙️ Population
989K
2.47M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 14% less expensive than in Lusaka. Cities ranked 8027th and 7322nd ($591 vs $686) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 9th in Malawi and Zambia, respectively. Check Malawi vs Zambia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.2 months in Lilongwe compared to 0.2 months in Lusaka. Lilongwe ranked 3rd best city to live in Malawi vs Lusaka ranked 1st in Zambia, while ranked 8837th and 6732nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Lilongwe vs Lusaka

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

Lilongwe Lusaka
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.25
$7.41
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$24.2
$23.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.08
$3.86
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.54
$1.02
☕ Cappuccino
$2.31
$2.05
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.43
$0.61
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$373
$236
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$112
$129
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$601
$431
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$198
$236
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.7
$35.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$52.7
$55.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$50.7
$51
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.71%
25.19%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9004
$1955
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$506
$4123
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.91
$0.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.5
$38.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.64
$12
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.35
$1.22
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.05
$1.38
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.09
$0.77
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$1.57
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.28
$1.55
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$7.18
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.28
$4.53
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.98
$5.26
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$3.08
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.23
$1.85
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$2.95
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.33
$1.26
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.25
$2.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.53
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.42
$0.4
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.15
$1.42
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.2
$7.32
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.9
$1.12
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.74
$3.16
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.1
$6.74
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.11
$3.41
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$1.69
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.66
$1.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$28.9
$43
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.53
$4.16
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.1
$17.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.64
$6.47
👖 Brand Jeans
$22.9
$18.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$48.6
$73.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$349
$178
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2330
$13300

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

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

Cities near Lusaka

Distance City Cost of living
166 km or 103 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$815
209 km or 130 mi Choma
$750
275 km or 171 mi Ndola
$613
289 km or 179 mi Kitwe
$1189
297 km or 184 mi Chinhoyi
$639
318 km or 198 mi Mufulira
$1473
322 km or 200 mi Chingola
$1229
370 km or 230 mi Kadoma
$754
373 km or 232 mi Livingstone
$718
399 km or 248 mi Harare
$1024
411 km or 255 mi Chitungwiza
$770
426 km or 265 mi Lubumbashi
$1133
429 km or 267 mi Kwekwe
$706
464 km or 288 mi Marondera
$768
475 km or 295 mi Mansa
$1030
478 km or 297 mi Gweru
$577
521 km or 324 mi Likasi
$1039
529 km or 329 mi Bulawayo
$630
574 km or 356 mi Tete
$828
584 km or 363 mi Masvingo
$861
605 km or 376 mi Kolwezi
$1039
611 km or 380 mi Mutare
$764
613 km or 381 mi Lilongwe
$591
645 km or 401 mi Francistown
$633
658 km or 409 mi Kasama
$1002
686 km or 426 mi Chimoio
$924
688 km or 428 mi Ntcheu
$495
694 km or 431 mi Mzimba
$530
721 km or 448 mi Blantyre
$505
729 km or 453 mi Monkey Bay
$521
756 km or 470 mi Zomba
$458
757 km or 471 mi Mangochi
$496
762 km or 474 mi Mzuzu
$527
775 km or 482 mi Mulanje
$461
792 km or 492 mi Serowe
$583
802 km or 499 mi Palapye
$551
852 km or 529 mi Beira
$1000
869 km or 540 mi Mahalapye
$628
917 km or 570 mi Mbeya
$469
956 km or 594 mi Quelimane
$692