Lilongwe vs Lusaka - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Lusaka
🚶 Cost of living one person
$582
$685
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1336
$1880
🏠 One person rent
$260
$250
🏘️ Family rent
$352
$606
🍽️ Food expenses
$216
$245
🚐 Transport expenses
$57.3
$130
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$278
$332
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
13
36
😀 Quality of life
20
48
🏙️ Population
989K
2.47M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 15% less expensive than in Lusaka. Cities ranked 7990th and 7016th ($582 vs $685) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 9th in Malawi and Zambia, respectively. Check Malawi vs Zambia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Lilongwe compared to 0.5 months in Lusaka. Lilongwe ranked 4th best city to live in Malawi vs Lusaka ranked 1st in Zambia, while ranked 8861st and 6308th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Lilongwe vs Lusaka infographic

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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
$3.23
$6.96
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$25.7
$26.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$3.86
$3.84
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.93
$1.02
☕ Cappuccino
$2.43
$2.22
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.92
$0.9
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$375
$191
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$113
$103
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$363
$881
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$202
$330
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$44.9
$66.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$68.5
$102
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$49.9
$63.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.6%
21.22%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10490
$1988
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$589
$4865
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.93
$1.56
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.6
$37.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.99
$12.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.4
$1.29
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.22
$1.3
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.08
$0.76
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$2.33
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.56
$1.97
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.3
$6.99
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.05
$3.87
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$5.21
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.24
$2.56
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$1.69
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$2.66
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.13
$1.44
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.89
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.48
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.29
$0.4
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.15
$1.07
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.1
$6.63
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.95
$1.1
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.59
$2.65
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.13
$2.3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.05
$2.57
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$1.27
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.67
$1.15
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.7
$42.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.11
$3.5
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.2
$12.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.63
$4.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$23
$18.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$49.3
$89.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$350
$176
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2358
$5845

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$526
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$515
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$516
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$498
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$574
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$591
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$834
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$534
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$500
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$1079
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$1012
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$810
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$890
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$830
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$670
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$894
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$433
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$662
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$1139
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$953
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$1190
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$685
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$1017
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1116
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1090
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$729
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1028
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$1000
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$731
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1007
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1500
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$761
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1394
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$871
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$725
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$939
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$756
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$564
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$639
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$670

Cities near Lusaka

Distance City Cost of living
166 km or 103 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$894
209 km or 130 mi Choma
$725
275 km or 171 mi Ndola
$1139
289 km or 179 mi Kitwe
$1116
297 km or 184 mi Chinhoyi
$830
318 km or 198 mi Mufulira
$1090
322 km or 200 mi Chingola
$1028
370 km or 230 mi Kadoma
$729
373 km or 232 mi Livingstone
$670
399 km or 248 mi Harare
$1012
411 km or 255 mi Chitungwiza
$890
426 km or 265 mi Lubumbashi
$1007
429 km or 267 mi Kwekwe
$731
464 km or 288 mi Marondera
$810
475 km or 295 mi Mansa
$1017
478 km or 297 mi Gweru
$761
521 km or 324 mi Likasi
$939
529 km or 329 mi Bulawayo
$756
574 km or 356 mi Tete
$834
584 km or 363 mi Masvingo
$871
605 km or 376 mi Kolwezi
$947
611 km or 380 mi Mutare
$662
613 km or 381 mi Lilongwe
$582
645 km or 401 mi Francistown
$585
658 km or 409 mi Kasama
$1079
686 km or 426 mi Chimoio
$953
688 km or 428 mi Ntcheu
$515
694 km or 431 mi Mzimba
$574
721 km or 448 mi Blantyre
$591
729 km or 453 mi Monkey Bay
$526
756 km or 470 mi Zomba
$498
757 km or 471 mi Mangochi
$516
762 km or 474 mi Mzuzu
$534
775 km or 482 mi Mulanje
$500
792 km or 492 mi Serowe
$600
802 km or 499 mi Palapye
$554
852 km or 529 mi Beira
$1000
869 km or 540 mi Mahalapye
$663
917 km or 570 mi Mbeya
$433
956 km or 594 mi Quelimane
$670