Lilongwe vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$582
$745
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1336
$2030
🏠 One person rent
$260
$269
🏘️ Family rent
$352
$619
🍽️ Food expenses
$216
$254
🚐 Transport expenses
$57.3
$161
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$278
$394
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
13
67
😀 Quality of life
20
57
🏙️ Population
989K
5.55M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 22% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 7990th and 6689th ($582 vs $745) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 1st in Malawi and Kenya, respectively. Check Malawi vs Kenya comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Lilongwe compared to 0.5 months in Nairobi. Lilongwe ranked 4th best city to live in Malawi vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 8861st and 5632nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Lilongwe vs Nairobi infographic

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Prices in Lilongwe vs Nairobi

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

Lilongwe Nairobi
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$3.23
$3.67
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$25.7
$26.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$3.86
$5.77
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.93
$2.2
 Cappuccino
$2.43
$2.41
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.92
$0.65
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$375
$366
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$113
$164
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$363
$1021
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$202
$420
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$44.9
$25.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$68.5
$38.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$49.9
$39.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.6%
14.58%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10490
$1536
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$589
$1125
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.93
$0.78
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.6
$34.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.99
$13
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.4
$1.62
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.22
$0.91
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.08
$0.48
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.28
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.56
$1.84
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.3
$12.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.05
$6.43
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$5.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.24
$2.83
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$1.05
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$1.81
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.13
$0.98
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.08
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.16
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.29
$0.47
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.15
$1.45
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.1
$12.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.95
$2.1
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.59
$2.93
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.13
$3.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.05
$3.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$0.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.67
$1.2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.7
$40.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.11
$6.09
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.2
$23.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.63
$5.57
👖 Brand Jeans
$23
$19.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$49.3
$58.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$350
$168
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2358
$8325

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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 Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$571
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$482
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$493
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$535
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$543
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$548
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$460
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$518
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$483
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$581
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$583
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$502
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$560
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$511
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$466
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$601
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$643
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$707
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$559
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$564
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$675
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$736
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$639
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$722
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$579
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$509
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$622
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$723
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$509
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$568
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$545
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$784
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$598
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$509
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$441
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$510
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$509
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$576
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$579
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$768