Moving to Malawi from Kenya
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kenya to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kenya to Malawi.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Kenya 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
Malawi performs significantly better than Kenya 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya 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
Kenya generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in water stress level.
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
Kenya 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
Kenya generally does better on family life, though Malawi leads in life expectancy.
Data: Revenue Authority, 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 | Nairobi | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya 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.
Kenya passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Free
Malawi passport holder visiting Kenya
Visa FreeData: 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 Kenya and Malawi.
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Malawi performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Kenya?
Kenya 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 1.0 in Kenya. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
