Moving to Malawi from Burkina Faso
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Burkina Faso to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Burkina Faso 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lilongwe averages 75°F vs 95°F in Ouagadougou, making it significantly cooler.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Burkina Faso and Malawi stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Malawi performs significantly better than Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso 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
Malawi performs significantly better than Burkina Faso across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Burkina Faso generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Burkina Faso generally does better on employment & economy, though Malawi leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malawi generally does better on family life, though Burkina Faso leads in education spending.
Data: 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 | Ouagadougou | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 96°/67°F (36°/20°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/78°F (37°/26°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/72°F (32°/22°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 95°/67°F (35°/20°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ouagadougou | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 91°/62°F (32.9°/16.5°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 96°/66°F (35.8°/19.1°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 101°/74°F (38.3°/23.5°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 103°/80°F (39.3°/26.4°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 100°/79°F (37.7°/26.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 94°/75°F (34.7°/24.1°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/73°F (32.1°/22.8°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.2°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 90°/72°F (32.5°/22.4°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/73°F (35.6°/23.0°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 97°/67°F (35.9°/19.6°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 92°/62°F (33.4°/16.9°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Agence Nationale de la Météorologie du Burkina Faso,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Burkina Faso 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.
Burkina Faso passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Malawi passport holder visiting Burkina Faso
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 Burkina Faso and Malawi.
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Malawi performs significantly better than Burkina Faso across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Burkina Faso?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Burkina Faso leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 1.5 in Burkina Faso. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Burkina Faso: 40).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Burkina Faso?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 95°F in Ouagadougou. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Ouagadougou gets 29.3 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Burkina Faso, the official language is French.
