Moving to Papua New Guinea from Malawi
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malawi to Papua New Guinea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malawi to Papua New Guinea. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Port Moresby averages 88°F vs 75°F in Lilongwe, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Malawi and Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Papua New Guinea 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 generally does better on environment, though Papua New Guinea leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
Papua New Guinea 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
Papua New Guinea generally does better on employment & economy, though Malawi leads in top income tax 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 performs better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.
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 | Port Moresby |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lilongwe | Port Moresby |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) | 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C) |
| Feb | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C) |
| Mar | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C) |
| Apr | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C) |
| Jul | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C) |
| Nov | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) | 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C) |
Data:
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malawi and Papua New Guinea. To live, work, or study long-term in Papua New Guinea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Papua New Guinea's immigration authority.
Malawi passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea
Visa Required
Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea?
With 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea.
Is Papua New Guinea safe for expats?
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Papua New Guinea leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Papua New Guinea is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Malawi.
How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to Malawi?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Papua New Guinea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea, compared to 0.5 in Malawi. Papua New Guinea scores 30 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malawi: 48).
What's the weather like in Papua New Guinea compared to Malawi?
The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 75°F in Lilongwe. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lilongwe gets 50.7 in.
What language do they speak in Papua New Guinea?
The official languages in Papua New Guinea are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. In Malawi, the official languages are Chewa and English.
