You can live very reasonably in Malawi. Locals get by with extremely low wages by world standards and many survive from subsistence farming. How much you spend is up to you, but once you start having weekends away and eating in nice restaurants your budget will be much higher.
Here is a rundown of typical costs: EXCHANGE RATE = 850MK to 1 Euro (as of June 2018)
- Accommodation – 140,000MK per month.
- Weekend at Lake Malawi – 50,000MK for 2-3 days
- Climbing Mount Mulanje – 60,000MK for 2-3 days
- Hostel – 7,000MK per night
- Local Restaurant – 2,000MK per meal
- Western Restaurant – 4,000-6,500MK per meal
- Food – 30,000MK per month
- Tomatoes- 100MK for a pile
- Apples – 150MK each
- Avocados – 250MK each
- Fanta or Coke – 300MK each
- Beer – 800MK per bottle
- 500ml Water – 200MK each
- 5 Litre Water – 660MK each
- Crisps – 750MK per packet
- Laundry – 500MK per shopping bag load
Cash is the most useful form of currency. ATMs dispense 80,000-100,000MK at a time with a limit of 3 uses per day. Visa and MasterCard are accepted in larger stores and hotels. ATMs can be found in all major cities but some ATMs will not accept international cards. (National bank & Standard Bank are the best)
Prices for Westerners can be much higher than you expect compared to what the locals pay. Bargaining or haggling is essential in local markets and when buying larger items. It is a normal part of everyday life sadly. After a few weeks you will know the local price for things and find it easier to negotiate a better price.