Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lilongwe and Lviv

For one person, living is cheaper in Lilongwe: $639 a month against $1,009 in Lviv, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Lilongwe
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Lilongwe Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lviv
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Lviv Living Index

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Lilongwe

🇲🇼 Malawi

$639

/mo nomad

Lviv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lilongwe and in Lviv

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $639 in Lilongwe versus $1,009 in Lviv.

Lilongwe $639
Lviv $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Lilongwe versus $1,537 in Lviv.

Lilongwe $1,262
Lviv $1,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,885 in Lilongwe versus $2,065 in Lviv.

Lilongwe $1,885
Lviv $2,065

Living in Lilongwe costs roughly 37% less than in Lviv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lilongwe 53% lower, Lviv 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 MWK 8,350

$6.62 ₴297

-26.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.93 MWK 58.3K

$36.09 ₴1,620

-5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 MWK 17.7K

$6.47 ₴290

59.66%

Cappuccino

$3.26 MWK 5,592

$2.17 ₴97.2

50.23%

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

$1.29 MWK 2,219

$1.33 ₴59.9

-3.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MWK 1,017

$1.36 ₴61.2

-56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MWK 3,865

$2.51 ₴113

-10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MWK 7,068

$3.03 ₴136

35.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MWK 2,084

$1.24 ₴55.7

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 MWK 3,042

$0.83 ₴37.23

113.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MWK 2,919

$1.68 ₴75.5

1.19%

Eggs

$2.84 MWK 4,876

$2.11 ₴94.9

34.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 MWK 26.5K

$8.84 ₴397

74.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 MWK 8,851

$4.94 ₴222

4.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.09 MWK 7,019

$7.55 ₴339

-45.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 MWK 4,303

$1.32 ₴59.0

90.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MWK 2,165

$1.57 ₴70.4

-19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 MWK 2,635

$1.72 ₴77.0

-11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MWK 3,959

$2.65 ₴119

-12.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MWK 3,528

$0.84 ₴37.66

144.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MWK 1,669

$0.58 ₴26.04

67.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 ₴67.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MWK 1,683

$0.52 ₴23.48

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 MWK 4,272

$3.23 ₴145

-22.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.64 MWK 40.6K

$6.76 ₴303

249.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MWK 2,042

$0.98 ₴44.13

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MWK 4,299

$1.60 ₴72.0

56.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 MWK 1,624

$0.57 ₴25.74

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.43 MWK 7,610

$19.61 ₴880

-77.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 ₴133

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 MWK 4,466

$0.34 ₴15.45

664.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 MWK 3,635

$4.29 ₴193

-50.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MWK 2,785

$1.69 ₴76.0

-4.14%

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

$29.5K ₴1.3M

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

$24.4K ₴1.1M

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

$45.40 MWK 78.0K

$83.7 ₴3,755

-45.73%

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

$11.58 MWK 19.9K

$6.01 ₴270

92.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 MWK 104.5K

$7.35 ₴330

727.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.98 MWK 53.2K

$31.82 ₴1,428

-2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.18 ₴637

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 ₴204

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

$349 MWK 599.1K

$332 ₴14.9K

5.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,236 ₴324.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 ₴3,941

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.50 ₴1,952

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ₴4,368

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₴4,498

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 MWK 914.1K

$503 ₴22.6K

5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.0 MWK 145.9K

$385 ₴17.3K

-77.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 MWK 1.0M

$934 ₴41.9K

-37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 MWK 1.2M

$627 ₴28.1K

7.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,014 ₴90.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₴56.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$357 MWK 613.2K

$669 ₴30.0K

-46.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.33

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

Last update for Lilongwe: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lviv: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lilongwe

$248 * 38.8%

Lviv

$183 18.2% 26.1% $65

Eating Out

Lilongwe

$136 21.3%

Lviv

$128 12.7% 6.1% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lilongwe

$118 18.4%

Lviv

$97 9.6% 17.7% $21

Accommodation & Living

Lilongwe

$85 13.3%

Lviv

$385 38.2% 353% $300

Sport & Entertainment

Lilongwe

$31 * 4.9%

Lviv

$41 4.1% 32.1% $9.9

Getting Around

Lilongwe

$21 * 3.3%

Lviv

$27 2.6% 25.3% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Lilongwe

- * 0%

Lviv

$148 14.7%

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 Lilongwe and $503 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lviv pays 87% 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: $34.00 in Lilongwe vs $36.00 in Lviv. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $183, with Lviv cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇼 Lilongwe

🇺🇦 Lviv

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

1 h ahead of Lilongwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

781,538 Capital

728,350

💱 Currency

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to MWK – Malawian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇼 Malawian Kwacha (MK)

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).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MWK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lilongwe Lviv 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lilongwe
Lviv

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

Lilongwe vs Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lilongwe is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and clothing. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Lviv. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $532 in Lilongwe versus $503 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lviv pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lilongwe – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $36.00 in Lviv. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $639 in Lilongwe versus $1,009 in Lviv, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lilongwe but tight or insufficient in Lviv. The gap between the two cities makes Lilongwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lilongwe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lviv, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lilongwe and Lviv 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 Lilongwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Lviv. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.