Moving to Malawi from Dominican Republic

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Dominican Republic 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 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler.

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

DO
12.4
MW
1.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

DO
27.4
MW
20.2

Malawi performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

DO
$1,169
MW
$125
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

DO
22.3
MW
0.5

Dominican Republic 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

DO
27.0
MW
43.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

DO
3.0t
MW
0.2t

Dominican Republic generally does better on environment, though Malawi leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

DO
10.7
MW
0.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

DO
39.5%
MW
17.5%

Dominican Republic generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

DO
5.6%
MW
5.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

DO
$23,100
MW
$1,700

Dominican Republic 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

DO
72.6 yrs
MW
72.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

DO
21.2
MW
33.4

Dominican Republic performs better than Malawi across all family life metrics.

Data: Direccion General de Impuestos Internos, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santo Domingo Rain: 57.0 in/yr (1447 mm)
87° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santo Domingo Lilongwe
Jan–Mar 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 78°/61°F (25°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) 72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) 72°/45°F (22°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) 80°/57°F (27°/14°C)
View all months
Month Santo Domingo Lilongwe
Jan 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C)
Feb 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C)
Mar 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C)
Apr 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C)
May 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C)
Jul 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C)
Aug 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C)
Sep 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C)
Oct 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C)
Nov 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C)
Dec 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C)

Data: Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá, Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominican Republic 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.

Dominican Republic passport

Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Malawi

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

Malawi passport holder visiting Dominican Republic

Visa Required
Malawi passport holders need a visa to enter Dominican Republic.

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 Dominican Republic and Malawi.

Is Malawi safe for expats?

Malawi performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.4 in Dominican Republic.

How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Dominican Republic?

Dominican Republic 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 22.3 in Dominican Republic. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominican Republic: 77).

What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Dominican Republic?

The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.

What language do they speak in Malawi?

The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

DO MW
Population 10,694,700 20,794,353
Currency Dominican Peso (DOP) Malawian Kwacha (MWK)
Languages Spanish Chewa, English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +1 +265
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911