Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chikwawa and Blantyre

29

Cost of Living Index in Blantyre
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Blantyre Living Index

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Chikwawa

🇲🇼 Malawi

/mo nomad

Blantyre

🇲🇼 Malawi

$602

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 MWK 6,698

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.39 MWK 23.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 MWK 12.2K

Cappuccino

$2.79 MWK 4,791

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 MWK 1,465

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MWK 772

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MWK 1,802

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MWK 2,987

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 MWK 1,817

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 MWK 2,318

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 MWK 3,480

Eggs

$1.74 MWK 2,993

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.65 MWK 6,268

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 MWK 9,455

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 MWK 11.4K

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 MWK 3,893

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 MWK 4,059

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MWK 4,108

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 MWK 1,903

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 MWK 2,263

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MWK 2,326

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 MWK 530

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MWK 1,349

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 MWK 4,121

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 MWK 23.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MWK 1,578

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 MWK 2,819

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MWK 891

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 MWK 1,051

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 MWK 2,544

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 MWK 6,727

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MWK 2,588

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K MWK 59.6M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K MWK 67.4M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$26.58 MWK 45.6K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.89 MWK 13.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MWK 102.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 MWK 26.0K

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$385 MWK 660.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$603 MWK 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.33 MWK 74.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 MWK 69.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.11 MWK 82.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 MWK 122.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 MWK 386.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 MWK 199.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 MWK 1.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MWK 676.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 MWK 686.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 MWK 576.4K

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chikwawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Blantyre: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$191 31.6%

Accommodation & Living

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$116 19.3%

Eating Out

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$100 16.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$91 15.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$60 * 9.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$34 * 5.7%

Getting Around

Chikwawa

–

Blantyre

$10 * 1.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇲🇼 Chikwawa

🇲🇼 Blantyre

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

Same time as Chikwawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,987

994,500

💱 Currency

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chikwawa Blantyre 35 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chikwawa vs Blantyre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Chikwawa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Blantyre, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Chikwawa wins on affordability, Blantyre on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.