Moving to Malawi from Sierra Leone
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sierra Leone to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sierra Leone to Malawi. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lilongwe averages 75°F vs 86°F in Freetown, making it significantly cooler.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Sierra Leone and Malawi stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sierra Leone generally does better on safety, though Malawi 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malawi performs significantly better than Sierra Leone across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sierra Leone generally does better on environment, though Malawi leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
Sierra Leone generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi 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
Sierra Leone 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
Malawi generally does better on family life, though Sierra Leone leads in education spending.
Data: National 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 | Freetown | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 87°/76°F (31°/24°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Freetown | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/75°F (29.9°/23.8°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 87°/75°F (30.3°/24.0°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 88°/77°F (31.2°/24.8°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.6°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 84°/74°F (28.7°/23.1°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 83°/73°F (28.4°/23.0°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 84°/74°F (29.0°/23.1°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.4°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 86°/75°F (30.1°/24.0°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 85°/75°F (29.7°/24.1°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sierra Leone 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.
Sierra Leone passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Malawi passport holder visiting Sierra Leone
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Malawi?
With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malawi can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sierra Leone and Malawi.
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Sierra Leone generally does better on safety, though Malawi leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Sierra Leone.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Sierra Leone?
Malawi performs significantly better than Sierra Leone across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 0.4 in Sierra Leone. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sierra Leone: 41).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Sierra Leone?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 86°F in Freetown. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Freetown gets 116.0 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Sierra Leone, the official language is English.
