Moving to Malawi from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Malawi? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia 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 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Malawi compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia performs better than Malawi across all safety metrics.
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
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia 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 significantly better than Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in water stress level.
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
Saudi Arabia performs 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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Malawi across all family life metrics.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Malawi passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
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?
Connectivity is usually fine (Malawi: 0.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Malawi offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia performs better than Malawi across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Saudi Arabia?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
