Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lilongwe vs Lusaka

Lilongwe vs Lusaka

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lusaka 21% cheaper Lusaka +17 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Lilongwe

Black Chitsulo/Unsplash

Lusaka

Vije Vijendranath/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,721

Lilongwe

$1,367

Lusaka

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Lilongwe

Moderate

Lusaka

Air Quality

5/5

Lilongwe

5/5

Lusaka

Healthcare

High

Lilongwe

High

Lusaka

Population

669.0k

Lilongwe

1.7m

Lusaka

Lilongwe (Malawi) and Lusaka (Zambia) are both in Africa, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lusaka is the clear budget winner at $1367/mo — 21% cheaper than Lilongwe's $1721/mo, a saving of $4248 per year.

For families, Lilongwe costs $1400.639064831766/mo compared to Lusaka's $806.9391088542649/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lusaka leads on internet connectivity at 20 Mbps (ranked #167 globally) versus Lilongwe's 3 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Lilongwe and Lusaka share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lilongwe and Lusaka.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lilongwe is May (around 25 degrees, 0mm rain, score 402), while Lusaka peaks in April (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 402). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LilongweLusaka

Nomad$1,721/mo$1,367/mo

Expat$776/mo$530/mo

Local$400/mo$231/mo

Family$1,401/mo$807/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LilongweLusaka

City Speed

3 Mbps

20 Mbps#167

Country Speed0 Mbps22 Mbps

Environment & Health

LilongweLusaka

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighHigh

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity8489

Quality of Life

LilongweLusaka

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareHighHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lilongwe

Lusaka

Jan

29°

3mm310

29°

3mm309

Feb

32°

1mm331

32°

0mm389

Mar

30°

1mm331

29°

1mm378

Apr

28°

0mm388

27°

0mm402

May

25°

0mm402

24°

0mm402

Jun

23°

0mm382

20°

0mm382

Jul

24°

0mm402

24°

0mm402

Aug

25°

0mm402

25°

0mm402

Sep

28°

0mm402

29°

0mm402

Oct

31°

0mm402

31°

0mm402

Nov

32°

1mm392

32°

1mm378

Dec

33°

1mm398

33°

0mm387

Who Should Choose Lilongwe?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1400.639064831766/mo for families
Peak season in May — 25 degrees, score 402

Who Should Choose Lusaka?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1367
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $806.9391088542649/mo for families
Peak season in April — 27 degrees, score 402

Overall Verdict

Overall, Lusaka edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1367/mo it runs 21% cheaper than Lilongwe's $1721/mo, with 20 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Lilongwe Lusaka

ItemLilongweLusakaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.41$3

12%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$29.21$18.37

37%

McMeal or equivalent combo$4.87$3.17

35%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.32$1.81

22%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$0.78$1.22

36%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.36$1.5

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.68$0.88

23%

Water (0.33L)$0.35$0.47

26%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.84$1.34

37%

White bread (500g)$0.53$0.95

44%

White rice (1kg)$0.8$2

60%

Eggs (12)$1.58$1.73

Chicken fillets (1kg)$2.34$4.18

44%

Beef round (1kg)$3.38$5.3

36%

Local cheese (1kg)$14.12$9.11

35%

Apples (1kg)$2.57$2.48

Bananas (1kg)$1.34$1.49

10%

Oranges (1kg)$2.37$2.51

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.58$1.16

27%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.78$1.23

31%

Onions (1kg)$1.78$1.59

11%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.57$1.22

53%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.52$0.98

47%

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.33$4.9

23%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.84$0.99

15%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.53$1.26

18%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.92$2.66

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.49$1.24

60%

Monthly transport pass$44.64$30.62

31%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$4.87$3

38%

Taxi per 1km$0.39$0.62

37%

Taxi 1hr waiting$0.97$9.19

89%

Gasoline (1L)$1.03$1.36

24%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$26,777.02$8,593.28

68%

Toyota Corolla (new)$26,777.02$6,444.46

76%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$53.55$140.69

62%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$111.98$103.74

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.07$0.07

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$36.03$23.82

34%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$7.79$4.78

39%

Cinema, 1 ticket$4.06$2

51%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$230.44$171.24

26%

International primary school/yr$6,264.2$14,061.39

55%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$42.19$12.66

70%

Summer dress (chain store)$25.32$31.12

19%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$69.46$90.18

23%

Men's leather business shoes$86.01$105.64

19%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$350.54$262.01

25%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$163.1$168.4

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$632.91$832.64

24%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$596.4$439.96

26%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$10,507.21$10,763.91

Price per m², outside centre$584.23—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$292.11$396.94

26%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$20$26

23%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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