Moving to Malawi from Zambia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zambia to Malawi — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zambia to Malawi.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Zambia to Malawi, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Malawi?
Top countries of origin for Malawi's foreign-born residents.
- 40,131
-
2.31,375
Zambia
- 27,773
- 27,221
- 10,079
- 7,041
Key Indicator Comparison
How Zambia 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
Zambia 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia 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 Zambia 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
Zambia generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in internet access.
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
Malawi generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia 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
Zambia generally does better on family life, though Malawi leads in life expectancy.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank, Zambia Revenue Authority
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lusaka | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lusaka | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD),
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia 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.
Zambia passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Free
Malawi passport holder visiting Zambia
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 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 Zambia and Malawi.
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Zambia 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 5.2 in Zambia.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Zambia?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 2.6 in Zambia. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Zambia?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Zambia, the official language is English.
