Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Blantyre

For one person, living is cheaper in Blantyre: $602 a month against $866 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Blantyre
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Blantyre Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Blantyre

🇲🇼 Malawi

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Blantyre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Da Nang and in Blantyre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Da Nang versus $602 in Blantyre.

Da Nang $866
Blantyre $602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,402 in Da Nang versus $1,046 in Blantyre.

Da Nang $1,402
Blantyre $1,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,937 in Da Nang versus $1,489 in Blantyre.

Da Nang $1,937
Blantyre $1,489

Living in Da Nang is roughly 44% more expensive than in Blantyre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Da Nang 36% lower, Blantyre 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ₫59.7K

$3.90 MWK 6,698

-41.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.11 ₫494.6K

$13.39 MWK 23.0K

42.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.4K

$7.08 MWK 12.2K

-35.88%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₫44.7K

$2.79 MWK 4,791

-37.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.85 MWK 1,465

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,807

$0.45 MWK 772

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₫35.9K

$1.05 MWK 1,802

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₫60.8K

$1.74 MWK 2,987

35.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₫41.1K

$1.06 MWK 1,817

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$1.35 MWK 2,318

-8.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.03 MWK 3,480

-48.28%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.74 MWK 2,993

-14.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ₫343.2K

$3.65 MWK 6,268

263.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 ₫110.1K

$5.51 MWK 9,455

-22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₫247.8K

$6.62 MWK 11.4K

44.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₫68.3K

$2.27 MWK 3,893

16.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.2K

$2.36 MWK 4,059

-49.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$2.39 MWK 4,108

-45.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₫39.5K

$1.11 MWK 1,903

37.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.32 MWK 2,263

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$1.35 MWK 2,326

-2.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$0.31 MWK 530

232.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.7K

$0.79 MWK 1,349

-32.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$2.40 MWK 4,121

-37.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₫195.2K

$13.63 MWK 23.4K

-44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.2K

$0.92 MWK 1,578

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$1.64 MWK 2,819

32.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,963

$0.52 MWK 891

-32.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.01 ₫129.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$0.61 MWK 1,051

70.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$1.48 MWK 2,544

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.19 ₫496.8K

$3.92 MWK 6,727

389.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.51 MWK 2,588

-41.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.4K ₫788.3M

$34.7K MWK 59.6M

-12.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.1K ₫726.2M

$39.2K MWK 67.4M

-28.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$26.58 MWK 45.6K

195.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.17 ₫159.8K

$7.89 MWK 13.6K

-21.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₫216.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.33 ₫655.7K

$59.8 MWK 102.6K

-57.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₫141.0K

$15.14 MWK 26.0K

-64.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 ₫85.1K

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$160 ₫4.2M

$385 MWK 660.7K

-58.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₫385.9M

$603 MWK 1.0M

2370.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ₫1.2M

$43.33 MWK 74.4K

3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 ₫722.2K

$40.24 MWK 69.1K

-30.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

$48.11 MWK 82.6K

112.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 ₫2.1M

$71.1 MWK 122.0K

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₫13.8M

$225 MWK 386.5K

136.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₫9.0M

$116 MWK 199.7K

197.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ₫26.9M

$595 MWK 1.0M

74.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₫20.6M

$394 MWK 676.6K

101.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,852 ₫99.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 ₫34.4M

$400 MWK 686.0K

232.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$354 ₫9.2M

$336 MWK 576.4K

5.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Last update for Blantyre: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$346 39.9%

Blantyre

$116 19.3% 66.4% $230

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$202 23.3%

Blantyre

$191 31.6% 5.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13.3%

Blantyre

$91 15.2% 20.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.7%

Blantyre

$34 * 5.7% 63% $59

Eating Out

Da Nang

$68 7.9%

Blantyre

$100 16.6% 46.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$32 3.7%

Blantyre

$60 * 9.9% 87.3% $28

Getting Around

Da Nang

$10 1.2%

Blantyre

$10 * 1.7% 1.4% $0.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in Da Nang and $225 in Blantyre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Da Nang pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Da Nang vs $13.00 in Blantyre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $191 per month, with Blantyre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇲🇼 Blantyre

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

5 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

994,500

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MWK, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Malawian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,717 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD). 1 EUR = 1,930 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Blantyre 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Blantyre

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Da Nang vs Blantyre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Nang and Blantyre differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $602 including rent). Blantyre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Da Nang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $532 in Da Nang versus $225 in Blantyre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Da Nang. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Da Nang versus $602 in Blantyre – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Blantyre gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Da Nang and Blantyre are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Blantyre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Da Nang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.