Lilongwe vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person
$592
$984
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1419
$1812
🏠 One person rent
$250
$567
🏘️ Family rent
$390
$581
🍽️ Food expenses
$241
$247
🚐 Transport expenses
$51.8
$104
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$105
$1672
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
29 km
🎓 Higher education
12
63
😀 Quality of life
25
45
🏙️ Population
989K
1.27M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 40% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 7884th and 5704th ($592 vs $984) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 7th in Malawi and South Africa, respectively. Check Malawi vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.2 months in Lilongwe compared to 1.7 months in Soweto. Lilongwe ranked 7th best city to live in Malawi vs Soweto ranked 9th in South Africa, while ranked 8966th and 7050th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Lilongwe vs Soweto infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Lilongwe vs Soweto

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

Lilongwe Soweto
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.27
$6.53
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$24.6
$28.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.09
$4.24
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.55
$2
☕ Cappuccino
$2.34
$2.14
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.43
$1.07
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$374
$867
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$114
$362
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$603
$538
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$207
$415
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.2
$69.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$53.6
$108
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$50.6
$33.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.87%
11.64%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10587
$907
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$593
$724
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.92
$2.49
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.6
$32.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.7
$11.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.34
$1.2
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.06
$1.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.07
$0.96
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$1.33
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.27
$2.62
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$8.24
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.25
$4.25
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.01
$6.66
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$1.71
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.56
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.5
$1.63
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.34
$1.55
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$1.31
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.2
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.42
$0.66
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.13
$1.21
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12
$7.85
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.92
$1.65
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.57
$2.69
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.12
$2.99
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.05
$2.57
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$1.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.66
$0.51
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$29.1
$13.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.17
$6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17
$21.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.59
$3.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$23
$49.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$49.5
$75.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$353
$202
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2356
$3811

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

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
$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 Soweto

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Johannesburg
$1082
24 km or 15 mi Randburg
$890
26 km or 16 mi Sandton
$984
46 km or 28 mi Vereeniging
$706
46 km or 29 mi Benoni
$826
48 km or 30 mi Vanderbijlpark
$799
56 km or 34 mi Centurion
$892
58 km or 36 mi Springs
$740
66 km or 41 mi Pretoria
$975
73 km or 45 mi Brits
$875
91 km or 56 mi Potchefstroom
$731
92 km or 57 mi Rustenburg
$940
137 km or 85 mi Klerksdorp
$762
159 km or 99 mi Bethal
$838
166 km or 103 mi Kroonstad
$808
170 km or 106 mi Middelburg
$830
222 km or 138 mi Welkom
$762
228 km or 142 mi Mmabatho
$833
249 km or 155 mi Lobatse
$637
266 km or 165 mi Gaborone
$668
282 km or 175 mi Butha-Buthe
$570
290 km or 180 mi Kanye
$637
315 km or 196 mi Molepolole
$607
321 km or 199 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
329 km or 204 mi Mbabane
$599
335 km or 208 mi Vryheid
$827
341 km or 212 mi Maseru
$650
350 km or 217 mi Manzini
$469
354 km or 220 mi Bloemfontein
$698
367 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$577
399 km or 248 mi Mafeteng
$598
412 km or 256 mi Kimberley
$861
420 km or 261 mi Palapye
$514
446 km or 277 mi Pietermaritzburg
$705
447 km or 278 mi Serowe
$536
461 km or 286 mi Matola
$908
472 km or 293 mi Maputo
$915
506 km or 314 mi Durban
$892
567 km or 353 mi Francistown
$587
595 km or 370 mi Xai-Xai
$915