Lilongwe vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$592
$811
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1419
$2043
🏠 One person rent
$250
$286
🏘️ Family rent
$390
$478
🍽️ Food expenses
$241
$286
🚐 Transport expenses
$51.8
$176
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$105
$181
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
12
68
😀 Quality of life
25
58
🏙️ Population
989K
5.55M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 27% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 7884th and 6622nd ($592 vs $811) 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 0.2 months in Lilongwe compared to 0.2 months in Nairobi. Lilongwe ranked 7th best city to live in Malawi vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 8966th and 6071st 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
$4.27
$5.85
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$24.6
$38.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.09
$6.96
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.55
$2.33
☕ Cappuccino
$2.34
$2.45
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.43
$0.7
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$374
$399
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$114
$179
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$603
$726
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$207
$322
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.2
$23.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$53.6
$35.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$50.6
$39.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.87%
15%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10587
$1979
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$593
$1111
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.92
$0.76
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.6
$31.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.7
$17
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.34
$1.43
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.06
$0.9
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.07
$0.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$1.7
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.27
$1.66
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$11.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.25
$6.51
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.01
$5.68
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$3.08
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.05
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.5
$1.85
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.34
$0.95
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$1.04
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.07
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.42
$0.53
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.13
$1.49
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12
$11.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.92
$2.2
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.57
$3.29
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.12
$2.64
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.05
$3.73
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$1.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.66
$1.16
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$29.1
$44.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.17
$7.42
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17
$17.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.59
$4.81
👖 Brand Jeans
$23
$19.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$49.5
$67.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$353
$225
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2356
$8707

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Cities near Lilongwe

Distance City Cost of living
123 km or 76 mi Monkey Bay
$519
134 km or 83 mi Ntcheu
$493
169 km or 105 mi Mangochi
$496
228 km or 142 mi Zomba
$458
233 km or 145 mi Mzimba
$565
240 km or 149 mi Blantyre
$506
243 km or 151 mi Tete
$820
283 km or 176 mi Mzuzu
$527
293 km or 182 mi Mulanje
$461
506 km or 314 mi Kasama
$888
518 km or 322 mi Harare
$1021
524 km or 326 mi Marondera
$779
533 km or 331 mi Chitungwiza
$751
536 km or 333 mi Chinhoyi
$650
545 km or 339 mi Quelimane
$692
550 km or 342 mi Kapiri Mposhi
$748
566 km or 352 mi Mbeya
$495
567 km or 353 mi Mutare
$755
568 km or 353 mi Ndola
$577
572 km or 355 mi Chimoio
$916
603 km or 375 mi Nampula
$935
613 km or 381 mi Lusaka
$655
616 km or 383 mi Mansa
$912
616 km or 383 mi Kitwe
$1062
618 km or 384 mi Mufulira
$1278
637 km or 396 mi Kadoma
$761
660 km or 410 mi Chingola
$1069
660 km or 410 mi Beira
$996
682 km or 424 mi Kwekwe
$716
732 km or 455 mi Lubumbashi
$1124
740 km or 460 mi Pemba
$1511
741 km or 460 mi Gweru
$587
744 km or 462 mi Nacala
$1168
746 km or 464 mi Masvingo
$873
795 km or 494 mi Choma
$687
835 km or 519 mi Likasi
$1032
883 km or 549 mi Bulawayo
$658
886 km or 551 mi Dodoma
$526
902 km or 560 mi Morogoro
$421
949 km or 590 mi Livingstone
$653

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$460
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$420
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$503
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$549
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$612
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$533
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$528
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$543
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$511
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$623
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$654
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$548
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$596
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$582
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$656
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$552
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$658
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$717
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$578
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$526
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$567
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$609
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$421
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$799
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$627
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$687
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$597
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$758
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$687
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$567
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$524
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$833
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$499
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$686
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$412
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$689
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$688
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$617
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$491
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$820