Moving to Malawi from Latvia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Latvia to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Latvia 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 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Latvia 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
Latvia generally does better on safety, though Malawi leads in homicide rate.
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
Latvia 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
Latvia 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
Latvia 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
Latvia 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
Latvia performs better than Malawi across all family life metrics.
Data: State Revenue Service, Latvia, 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 | Riga | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riga | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia 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.
Latvia passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Malawi passport holder visiting Latvia
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 Latvia and Malawi.
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Latvia generally does better on safety, though Malawi leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Latvia?
Latvia 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 33.8 in Latvia. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Latvia?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.
