Cost of Living Comparison Between Lilongwe and Semey Cost of Living Comparison Between Lilongwe and Semey

😐 Solo nomad: Lilongwe is 15.7% more expensive than Semey without rent, and 14% cheaper with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Lilongwe is 10.3% more expensive than Semey without rent, and 9.1% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 MWK 8,951

$4.37 ₸2,185

17.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 MWK 56.4K

$27.20 ₸13.6K

18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 MWK 18.0K

$4.84 ₸2,419

113.64%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MWK 5,229

$1.52 ₸759

97.37%

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

$0.95 MWK 1,664

$0.96 ₸482

-1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MWK 722

$0.55 ₸277

-25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 MWK 3,092

$1.15 ₸573

53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 MWK 7,147

$1.83 ₸912

123.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 MWK 1,742

$0.74 ₸368

35.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MWK 2,072

$0.34 ₸171

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MWK 2,936

$1.66 ₸831

1.20%

Eggs

$2.62 MWK 4,577

$1.27 ₸637

106.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.95 MWK 27.8K

$8.70 ₸4,345

83.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 MWK 5,402

$4.49 ₸2,244

-31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.95 MWK 6,889

$6.94 ₸3,467

-43.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MWK 4,521

$1.29 ₸642

100.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 MWK 1,725

$1.92 ₸957

-48.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 MWK 2,567

$2.01 ₸1,003

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MWK 2,645

$1.98 ₸989

-23.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 MWK 2,350

$0.56 ₸279

141.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MWK 2,146

$0.40 ₸202

207.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ₸465

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MWK 1,118

$0.75 ₸375

-14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 MWK 2,727

$2.55 ₸1,276

-38.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.31 MWK 25.0K

$6.32 ₸3,155

126.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MWK 1,831

$0.97 ₸485

8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 MWK 3,253

$1.55 ₸773

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 MWK 1,555

$0.19 ₸96.7

368.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.44 MWK 7,745

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₸498

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 MWK 4,438

$0.68 ₸338

273.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 MWK 3,726

$4.80 ₸2,400

-55.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MWK 2,772

$0.47 ₸234

238.30%

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

$20.3K ₸10.1M

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

$24.1K ₸12.1M

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

$45.36 MWK 79.2K

$50.1 ₸25.0K

-9.39%

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

$11.64 MWK 20.3K

$8.68 ₸4,337

34.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 MWK 110.5K

$12.87 ₸6,431

392.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 MWK 65.9K

$33.52 ₸16.7K

12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.82 ₸4,908

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 MWK 7,028

$4.39 ₸2,192

-8.20%

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

$346 MWK 604.6K

$213 ₸106.3K

62.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,394 MWK 4.2M

$4,959 ₸2.5M

-51.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 ₸28.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 ₸17.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 ₸44.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₸39.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₸159.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.8 MWK 116.6K

$205 ₸102.2K

-67.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 MWK 470.2K

$522 ₸260.9K

-48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 MWK 979.5K

$384 ₸192.0K

46.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$273 MWK 476.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

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

Last update for Lilongwe: March 2, 2026

Last update for Semey: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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