Moving to Malawi from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Malawi.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Malawi stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than Malawi across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Malawi leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Malawi across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Malawi leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than Malawi across all family life metrics.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia 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.
Australia passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Malawi passport holder visiting Australia
Visa RequiredData: 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 Australia and Malawi.
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Australia performs better than Malawi across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Australia?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Australia, the official language is English.
