Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Lilongwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Lilongwe: $641 a month against $866 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Lilongwe
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Lilongwe Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Lilongwe

🇲🇼 Malawi

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Lilongwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $866 per month in Da Nang vs $641 in Lilongwe, rent included.

Da Nang $866
Lilongwe $641

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Da Nang vs $1,277 in Lilongwe, rent included.

Da Nang $1,402
Lilongwe $1,277

A family of three spends $1,937 per month in Da Nang vs $1,913 in Lilongwe, rent included.

Da Nang $1,937
Lilongwe $1,913

Da Nang costs about 35% more than Lilongwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Da Nang and Lilongwe are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 36% lower, Lilongwe 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ₫59.7K

$4.98 MWK 8,555

-53.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.11 ₫494.6K

$34.36 MWK 59.0K

-44.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.4K

$10.11 MWK 17.4K

-55.09%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₫44.7K

$3.29 MWK 5,654

-47.42%

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

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$1.23 MWK 2,109

-51.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,807

$0.60 MWK 1,026

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₫35.9K

$2.24 MWK 3,850

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₫60.8K

$4.00 MWK 6,875

-41.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₫41.1K

$1.28 MWK 2,204

24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$1.83 MWK 3,145

-32.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.75 MWK 3,005

-40.00%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.88 MWK 4,952

-48.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ₫343.2K

$16.02 MWK 27.5K

-17.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 ₫110.1K

$5.09 MWK 8,746

-16.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₫247.8K

$3.92 MWK 6,735

144.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₫68.3K

$2.55 MWK 4,370

3.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.2K

$1.21 MWK 2,083

-0.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$1.46 MWK 2,501

-10.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₫39.5K

$2.22 MWK 3,809

-31.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$2.07 MWK 3,546

-44.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$0.99 MWK 1,700

32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.7K

$1.03 MWK 1,763

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$2.37 MWK 4,072

-36.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₫195.2K

$23.72 MWK 40.7K

-68.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.2K

$1.19 MWK 2,042

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$2.57 MWK 4,412

-15.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,963

$0.90 MWK 1,551

-61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.01 ₫129.6K

$4.28 MWK 7,341

17.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$2.54 MWK 4,355

-77.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.19 ₫496.8K

$2.20 MWK 3,776

772.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.56 MWK 2,679

-42.95%

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

$30.4K ₫788.3M

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

$28.1K ₫726.2M

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$45.36 MWK 77.9K

73.15%

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

$6.17 ₫159.8K

$11.62 MWK 20.0K

-46.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₫216.1K

$60.3 MWK 103.6K

-86.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.33 ₫655.7K

$30.44 MWK 52.3K

-16.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₫141.0K

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 ₫85.1K

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

$160 ₫4.2M

$350 MWK 601.5K

-54.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₫385.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ₫1.2M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 ₫722.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 ₫2.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₫13.8M

$544 MWK 933.2K

-2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₫9.0M

$85.6 MWK 147.0K

304.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ₫26.9M

$578 MWK 992.6K

79.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₫20.6M

$694 MWK 1.2M

14.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,852 ₫99.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 ₫34.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$354 ₫9.2M

$370 MWK 635.2K

-4.24%

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 Lilongwe: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$346 39.9%

Lilongwe

$86 13.4% 75.3% $260

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$202 23.3%

Lilongwe

$251 * 39.1% 24.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13.3%

Lilongwe

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.7%

Lilongwe

$117 18.3% 26.1% $24

Eating Out

Da Nang

$68 7.9%

Lilongwe

$136 21.3% 99.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$32 3.7%

Lilongwe

$30 * 4.8% 4.6% $1.5

Getting Around

Da Nang

$10 1.2%

Lilongwe

$21 * 3.2% 101% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Da Nang versus $544 in Lilongwe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Lilongwe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Da Nang versus $34.00 in Lilongwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $251 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇲🇼 Lilongwe

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

22:30 10:30 PM

5 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

781,538 Capital

💱 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

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Between locations

Da Nang Lilongwe 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Lilongwe

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 Lilongwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Da Nang, $641 in Lilongwe – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Da Nang and $962 in Lilongwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lilongwe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Da Nang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Da Nang and $34.00 in Lilongwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lilongwe, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Da Nang at $866. In Lilongwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Da Nang it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $641 in Lilongwe to $866 in Da Nang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lilongwe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Da Nang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.