Cost of living comparison
Lilongwe is 14.7% cheaper than Sofia.
- Restaurants
-
pay 57.8% less in Lilongwe
- Groceries
-
pay 1.6% more in Lilongwe
- Transportation
-
pay 35.3% less in Lilongwe
- Housing
-
pay 75.1% more in Lilongwe
- Childcare
-
pay 51.0% less in Lilongwe
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 20.8% less in Lilongwe
The cost of housing and groceries in Lilongwe are more expensive than in Sofia. Expenses including restaurants, childcare, transportation, and entertainment and sports are lower in Lilongwe. Notably, housing is significantly more expensive in Lilongwe.
If you lived in Lilongwe instead of Sofia, you would:
pay 57.8% less for restaurants
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$10.96
BGN18.87
|
$3.46
MWK5,995.73
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$8.22
BGN14.15
|
?? | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.48
BGN2.55
|
$0.91
MWK1,585.70
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.03
BGN1.77
|
$0.34
MWK589.13
|
|
pay 1.6% more for groceries
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$1.12
BGN1.93
|
$1.41
MWK2,449.14
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.28
BGN9.09
|
$7.88
MWK13,655.23
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$6.60
BGN11.36
|
$5.24
MWK9,073.26
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.55
BGN6.11
|
$3.06
MWK5,294.57
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$3.50
BGN6.02
|
$1.30
MWK2,244.28
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$0.80
BGN1.38
|
$1.07
MWK1,845.94
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.85
BGN1.47
|
$0.59
MWK1,026.70
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$0.81
BGN1.39
|
?? | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.11
BGN1.91
|
$0.56
MWK977.01
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.51
BGN0.87
|
$0.84
MWK1,449.78
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$0.47
BGN0.81
|
$0.56
MWK976.88
|
|
pay 35.3% less for transportation
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$5.66
BGN9.74
|
$6.43
MWK11,138.43
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$27.40
BGN47.17
|
$4.32
MWK7,490.08
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$29,952.87
BGN51,560.87
|
?? | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$7.51
BGN12.92
|
?? | |
pay 75.1% more for housing
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$13.48
BGN23.21
|
$62.37
MWK108,085.21
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$570.94
BGN982.81
|
?? | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$430.23
BGN740.60
|
$67.61
MWK117,172.97
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$114.12
BGN196.45
|
$53.53
MWK92,768.27
|
|
pay 51.0% less for childcare
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$554.43
BGN954.40
|
$350.00
MWK606,561.79
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$6,747.31
BGN11,614.83
|
$2,349.49
MWK4,071,738.45
|
|
pay 20.8% less for entertainment and sports
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.74
BGN4.72
|
$1.08
MWK1,871.99
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$2.26
BGN3.89
|
$3.21
MWK5,561.38
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$3.34
BGN5.75
|
$1.59
MWK2,749.52
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$37.04
BGN63.77
|
$44.05
MWK76,345.10
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$8.22
BGN14.15
|
$3.95
MWK6,846.45
|
|
pay (unknown) more for clothing
|
Sofia
|
Lilongwe
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$70.63
BGN121.59
|
?? | |
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$33.57
BGN57.79
|
?? | |
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$99.28
BGN170.90
|
?? | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$102.16
BGN175.86
|
?? |
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