Moving to Malawi from Afghanistan

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Afghanistan to Malawi, and you’d need to navigate life in Chewa and English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Afghanistan and Malawi stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AF
4.0
MW
1.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AF
24.1
MW
20.2

Malawi performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AF
$330
MW
$125
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AF
2.5
MW
0.5

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AF
143.0
MW
43.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AF
0.3t
MW
0.2t

Malawi performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AF
0.1
MW
0.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AF
54.8%
MW
17.5%

Malawi generally does better on infrastructure, though Afghanistan leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AF
14.4%
MW
5.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AF
$2,000
MW
$1,700

Afghanistan generally does better on employment & economy, though Malawi leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AF
53.6 yrs
MW
72.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AF
104.9
MW
33.4

Malawi generally does better on family life, though Afghanistan leads in education spending.

Data: Afghanistan Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kabul Rain: 12.3 in/yr (312 mm)
67° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Lilongwe Rain: 50.7 in/yr (1289 mm)
75° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kabul Lilongwe
Jan–Mar 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 78°/61°F (25°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) 72°/45°F (22°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) 80°/57°F (27°/14°C)
View all months
Month Kabul Lilongwe
Jan 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C)
Feb 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C)
Mar 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C)
Apr 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C)
May 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C)
Jun 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C)
Jul 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C)
Aug 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C)
Sep 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C)
Oct 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C)
Nov 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C)
Dec 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C)

Data: Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and Malawi. To live, work, or study long-term in Malawi, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Malawi's immigration authority.

Afghanistan passport

Afghanistan passport holder visiting Malawi

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Afghanistan passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Malawi.
Malawi passport

Malawi passport holder visiting Afghanistan

Visa Required
Malawi passport holders need a visa to enter Afghanistan.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Malawi?

With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malawi can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and Malawi.

Is Malawi safe for expats?

Malawi performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.

How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Afghanistan?

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 2.5 in Afghanistan. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).

What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Afghanistan?

The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.

What language do they speak in Malawi?

The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.

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At a Glance

AF MW
Population 38,346,720 20,794,353
Currency Afghan Afghani (AFN) Malawian Kwacha (MWK)
Languages Dari, Pashto, Turkmen Chewa, English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +93 +265
Time zones 1 1