Moving to Cambodia from Malawi
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malawi to Cambodia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malawi to Cambodia, and you’d need to navigate life in Khmer. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phnom Penh averages 90°F vs 75°F in Lilongwe, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Malawi and Cambodia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Cambodia leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Cambodia 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
Malawi performs better than Cambodia 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
Cambodia performs significantly 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
Cambodia performs significantly better than Malawi across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Cambodia generally does better on family life, though Malawi leads in life expectancy.
Data: Malawi 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 | Lilongwe | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lilongwe | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) |
| Feb | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) |
| Mar | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) |
| Apr | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) |
| Nov | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) |
Data:
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malawi and Cambodia. To live, work, or study long-term in Cambodia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cambodia's immigration authority.
Malawi passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa on Arrival
Cambodia passport holder visiting Malawi
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 Cambodia?
With 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cambodia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Malawi and Cambodia.
Is Cambodia safe for expats?
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Cambodia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Cambodia is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Malawi.
How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Malawi?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 0.5 in Malawi. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malawi: 48).
What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Malawi?
The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 75°F in Lilongwe. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Lilongwe gets 50.7 in.
What language do they speak in Cambodia?
The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Malawi, the official languages are Chewa and English.
