Moving to Senegal from Malawi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malawi to Senegal? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malawi to Senegal, and you’d need to navigate life in French. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Senegal compared to Malawi.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Senegal 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Senegal 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 Senegal 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
Senegal 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
Senegal 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
Senegal generally does better on family life, though Malawi leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Malawi Revenue Authority (2016), Direction Generale des Impots et des Domaines (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lilongwe | Dakar |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) | 77°/64°F (25°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) | 79°/70°F (26°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 85°/73°F (29°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lilongwe | Dakar |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) | 77°/64°F (24.9°/17.9°C) |
| Feb | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) | 77°/64°F (24.8°/17.8°C) |
| Mar | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) | 77°/65°F (25.1°/18.3°C) |
| Apr | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) | 76°/66°F (24.7°/19.1°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 79°/69°F (25.9°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) | 83°/74°F (28.5°/23.5°C) |
| Jul | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) | 86°/77°F (29.9°/25.0°C) |
| Aug | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/25.2°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) | 87°/77°F (30.6°/25.0°C) |
| Oct | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/25.2°C) |
| Nov | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) | 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) |
Data:
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
Agence nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la Météorologie (ANACIM)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malawi and Senegal. To live, work, or study long-term in Senegal, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Senegal's immigration authority.
Malawi passport holder visiting Senegal
Visa Free
Senegal 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 Senegal?
Connectivity is usually fine (Senegal: 4.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Senegal offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Senegal safe for expats?
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Senegal leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Senegal is 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Malawi.
How is healthcare in Senegal compared to Malawi?
Senegal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Senegal, compared to 0.5 in Malawi. Senegal scores 50 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malawi: 48).
What's the weather like in Senegal compared to Malawi?
The average high temperature in Dakar is 82°F, compared to 75°F in Lilongwe. Dakar receives around 14.9 in of rainfall per year, while Lilongwe gets 50.7 in.
What language do they speak in Senegal?
The official language in Senegal is French. In Malawi, the official languages are Chewa and English.
