Lilongwe vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$587
$760
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1571
$2089
🏠 One person rent
$251
$262
🏘️ Family rent
$555
$619
🍽️ Food expenses
$237
$281
🚐 Transport expenses
$51.8
$160
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$275
$399
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
13
68
😀 Quality of life
20
59
🏙️ Population
989K
5.55M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 23% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 7807th and 6622nd ($587 vs $760) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st 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 8847th and 5369th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Lilongwe vs Nairobi infographic

Share this infographic!

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
$4.27
$5.45
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$24.2
$38.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.14
$6.64
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.37
$2.34
☕ Cappuccino
$2.32
$2.28
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.93
$0.73
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$373
$395
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$114
$156
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$362
$1080
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$474
$418
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.6
$20
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$53.6
$31.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$50.1
$37.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.4%
14.8%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10555
$1743
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$588
$998
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.91
$0.77
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.7
$31
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.67
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.35
$1.56
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.95
$0.92
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.95
$0.56
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.29
$1.65
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.29
$1.63
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$11
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.29
$6.33
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4
$5.36
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.36
$2.97
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1
$1.1
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$2.01
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$1.03
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$1.07
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.42
$0.52
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.15
$1.45
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.1
$12.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.91
$2.13
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.57
$3.08
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.11
$2.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.11
$3.72
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$1.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.68
$1.14
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$28.8
$42
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.17
$6.17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17
$15.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.6
$4.79
👖 Brand Jeans
$23.1
$19.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$49.4
$59.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$349
$187
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2351
$7984

Cost of living in other countries

LilongweNairobi

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$518
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$492
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$493
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$457
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$566
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$507
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$825
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$525
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$461
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$748
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$992
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$794
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$873
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$646
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$675
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$687
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$461
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$752
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$541
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$947
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$872
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$738
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$776
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$917
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1018
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$723
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$875
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$1003
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$730
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1050
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1506
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$597
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1150
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$854
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$700
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$961
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$766
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$502
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$486
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$688

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$589
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$408
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$500
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$541
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$638
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$561
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$483
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$522
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$490
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$602
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$605
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$498
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$580
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$562
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$625
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$545
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$646
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$698
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$558
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$502
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$523
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$552
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$486
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$811
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$594
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$650
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$613
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$771
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$648
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$573
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$518
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$801
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$492
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$648
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$413
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$651
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$648
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$585
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$479
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$785