Lilongwe vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Lilongwe Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person
$582
$971
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1336
$1777
🏠 One person rent
$260
$568
🏘️ Family rent
$352
$574
🍽️ Food expenses
$216
$243
🚐 Transport expenses
$57.3
$92.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$278
$1724
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
22 km
29 km
🎓 Higher education
13
62
😀 Quality of life
20
39
🏙️ Population
989K
1.27M

The cost of living in Lilongwe is 40% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 7990th and 5883rd ($582 vs $971) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 5th in Malawi and South Africa, respectively. Check Malawi vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Lilongwe compared to 1.8 months in Soweto. Lilongwe ranked 4th best city to live in Malawi vs Soweto ranked 11th in South Africa, while ranked 8861st and 7063rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Lilongwe vs Soweto infographic

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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
$3.23
$6.55
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$25.7
$28
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$3.86
$4.09
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.93
$2.03
☕ Cappuccino
$2.43
$2
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.92
$1.01
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$375
$883
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$113
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$363
$544
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$202
$421
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$44.9
$61.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$68.5
$92.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$49.9
$35.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.6%
11.43%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10490
$917
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$589
$735
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.93
$2.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$11.6
$32.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.99
$8.62
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.4
$1.23
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.22
$1.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.08
$0.99
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.29
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.56
$2.68
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.3
$7.79
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.05
$4.33
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$6.47
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.24
$1.63
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$1.53
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$1.48
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.13
$1.53
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.36
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.29
$0.62
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.15
$1.23
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.1
$7.71
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.95
$1.52
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.59
$2.72
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.13
$3.04
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.05
$2.59
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.75
$1.25
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.67
$0.52
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.7
$13.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.11
$6.19
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.2
$22
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.63
$3.15
👖 Brand Jeans
$23
$50.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$49.3
$74.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$350
$216
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$2358
$4830

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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 Soweto

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Johannesburg
$1079
24 km or 15 mi Randburg
$874
26 km or 16 mi Sandton
$997
46 km or 28 mi Vereeniging
$717
46 km or 29 mi Benoni
$822
48 km or 30 mi Vanderbijlpark
$768
56 km or 34 mi Centurion
$838
58 km or 36 mi Springs
$696
66 km or 41 mi Pretoria
$909
73 km or 45 mi Brits
$848
91 km or 56 mi Potchefstroom
$717
92 km or 57 mi Rustenburg
$943
137 km or 85 mi Klerksdorp
$689
159 km or 99 mi Bethal
$819
166 km or 103 mi Kroonstad
$788
170 km or 106 mi Middelburg
$841
222 km or 138 mi Welkom
$774
228 km or 142 mi Mmabatho
$809
249 km or 155 mi Lobatse
$692
266 km or 165 mi Gaborone
$718
282 km or 175 mi Butha-Buthe
$559
290 km or 180 mi Kanye
$690
315 km or 196 mi Molepolole
$654
321 km or 199 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
329 km or 204 mi Mbabane
$623
335 km or 208 mi Vryheid
$791
341 km or 212 mi Maseru
$627
350 km or 217 mi Manzini
$459
354 km or 220 mi Bloemfontein
$696
367 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$663
399 km or 248 mi Mafeteng
$581
412 km or 256 mi Kimberley
$859
420 km or 261 mi Palapye
$554
446 km or 277 mi Pietermaritzburg
$674
447 km or 278 mi Serowe
$600
461 km or 286 mi Matola
$1003
472 km or 293 mi Maputo
$1116
506 km or 314 mi Durban
$834
567 km or 353 mi Francistown
$585
595 km or 370 mi Xai-Xai
$1045