Moving to Rwanda from Malawi
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malawi to Rwanda — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malawi to Rwanda. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Malawi and Rwanda 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 Rwanda 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 Rwanda 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 performs better than Rwanda across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
Malawi generally does better on infrastructure, though Rwanda leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Malawi generally does better on employment & economy, though Rwanda leads in gdp per capita.
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
Rwanda 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 | Kigali |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) | 82°/60°F (28°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lilongwe | Kigali |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.6°C) |
| Feb | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) | 81°/60°F (27.4°/15.8°C) |
| Mar | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C) |
| Apr | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) | 79°/61°F (26.2°/16.1°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) | 81°/59°F (27.1°/15.0°C) |
| Aug | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.0°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) | 81°/61°F (27.2°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) | 79°/60°F (26.1°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.6°C) |
Data:
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
Rwanda Meteorology Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malawi and Rwanda. To live, work, or study long-term in Rwanda, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Rwanda's immigration authority.
Malawi passport holder visiting Rwanda
Visa Free
Rwanda passport holder visiting Malawi
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 Rwanda?
With 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Rwanda 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 Rwanda.
Is Rwanda safe for expats?
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Rwanda leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Rwanda is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Malawi.
How is healthcare in Rwanda compared to Malawi?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rwanda leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Rwanda, compared to 0.5 in Malawi. Rwanda scores 49 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malawi: 48).
What's the weather like in Rwanda compared to Malawi?
The average high temperature in Kigali is 80°F, compared to 75°F in Lilongwe. Kigali receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lilongwe gets 50.7 in.
What language do they speak in Rwanda?
The official languages in Rwanda are English, French and Kinyarwanda. In Malawi, the official languages are Chewa and English.
