Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lviv and Lilongwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Lilongwe: $641 a month against $1,015 in Lviv, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lviv
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Lviv Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Lilongwe
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Lilongwe Living Index

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Lviv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$1,015

/mo nomad

Lilongwe

🇲🇼 Malawi

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lviv 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 Lviv and in Lilongwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Lviv versus $641 in Lilongwe.

Lviv $1,015
Lilongwe $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,540 in Lviv versus $1,277 in Lilongwe.

Lviv $1,540
Lilongwe $1,277

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in Lviv versus $1,913 in Lilongwe.

Lviv $2,066
Lilongwe $1,913

Living in Lviv is roughly 58% more expensive than in Lilongwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.79 ₴305

$4.98 MWK 8,555

36.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.44 ₴1,636

$34.36 MWK 59.0K

6.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 ₴304

$10.11 MWK 17.4K

-32.94%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ₴97.5

$3.29 MWK 5,654

-34.04%

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

$1.36 ₴61.1

$1.23 MWK 2,109

10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₴58.3

$0.60 MWK 1,026

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 ₴107

$2.24 MWK 3,850

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₴133

$4.00 MWK 6,875

-25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₴57.8

$1.28 MWK 2,204

0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₴38.68

$1.83 MWK 3,145

-53.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₴75.7

$1.75 MWK 3,005

-3.43%

Eggs

$2.10 ₴94.2

$2.88 MWK 4,952

-27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 ₴405

$16.02 MWK 27.5K

-43.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 ₴210

$5.09 MWK 8,746

-8.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 ₴349

$3.92 MWK 6,735

98.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 ₴58.7

$2.55 MWK 4,370

-48.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₴70.4

$1.21 MWK 2,083

29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 ₴79.3

$1.46 MWK 2,501

21.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₴113

$2.22 MWK 3,809

13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₴33.80

$2.07 MWK 3,546

-63.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₴24.08

$0.99 MWK 1,700

-45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ₴66.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₴23.64

$1.03 MWK 1,763

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₴147

$2.37 MWK 4,072

37.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 ₴297

$23.72 MWK 40.7K

-72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₴40.59

$1.19 MWK 2,042

-24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₴69.8

$2.57 MWK 4,412

-39.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₴24.24

$0.90 MWK 1,551

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.59 ₴879

$4.28 MWK 7,341

357.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ₴130

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₴14.27

$2.54 MWK 4,355

-87.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 ₴184

$2.20 MWK 3,776

86.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 ₴75.1

$1.56 MWK 2,679

7.05%

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

$31.2K ₴1.4M

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

$24.1K ₴1.1M

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

$84.1 ₴3,776

$45.36 MWK 77.9K

85.47%

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

$5.83 ₴262

$11.62 MWK 20.0K

-49.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.34 ₴330

$60.3 MWK 103.6K

-87.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.88 ₴1,431

$30.44 MWK 52.3K

4.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 ₴640

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 ₴217

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

$331 ₴14.9K

$350 MWK 601.5K

-5.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,018 ₴315.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 ₴3,962

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₴1,974

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 ₴4,197

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ₴4,416

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 ₴22.5K

$544 MWK 933.2K

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₴17.6K

$85.6 MWK 147.0K

357.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 ₴41.4K

$578 MWK 992.6K

59.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₴28.2K

$694 MWK 1.2M

-9.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,033 ₴91.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,295 ₴58.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ₴29.2K

$370 MWK 635.2K

75.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.67

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

Last update for Lviv: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lilongwe: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lviv

$392 38.6%

Lilongwe

$86 13.4% 78.2% $306

Groceries & Markets

Lviv

$182 18%

Lilongwe

$251 * 39.1% 37.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Lviv

$146 14.4%

Lilongwe

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Lviv

$129 12.7%

Lilongwe

$136 21.3% 5.5% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lviv

$97 9.6%

Lilongwe

$117 18.3% 20.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Lviv

$42 4.1%

Lilongwe

$30 * 4.8% 26.7% $11

Getting Around

Lviv

$26 2.6%

Lilongwe

$21 * 3.2% 21.6% $5.7

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 $502 in Lviv and $544 in Lilongwe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lviv pays 76% 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: $36.00 in Lviv vs $34.00 in Lilongwe. Groceries flip the comparison at $182 vs $251, with Lviv cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Lviv

🇲🇼 Lilongwe

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

1 h behind Lviv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

728,350

781,538 Capital

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MWK, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

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).

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 UAH in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lviv Lilongwe 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lviv
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

Lviv vs Lilongwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 76% higher in Lviv, 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: $502 in Lviv versus $544 in Lilongwe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lviv pay roughly 38% 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 $641 in Lilongwe versus $1,015 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, Lviv and Lilongwe 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.