Rent 250 000 for executive house with 4 beds, 3 bathrooms, lounge, dining room, kitchen, family room & outside servant quarters X1 in a middle-class area of Lilongwe - close to town and kids' schools,

Utilities - roughly 15 000 per month,

Food costs - for a family of 4 (2 adults & 2 kids) our monthly groceries cost is about 200 000 for food, cleaning stuff, etc.,

Healthcare costs - relatively cheap for doctor consultations 2000 per consultation, Education - International middle school fee per term 278 000, payable in advance at beginning of term,

When I lived in Lilongwe before in 2000 to 2003 life was very cheap by then but as of now it is very expensive. I moved from Lilongwe in 2004 and setlled in Mangochi District Town.When I visited friends in Lilongwe recently I found their life generall and other people around them is as follows:
Lilongwe CityRent not below 17,000 Malawi kwacha ( minimum) Maximum 100,000 Malawi kwacha ( roughly = 100 to 750 USD) a month, A real rate is 280 Mk = 1 USD ( black market) while in the bank is 170 Mk= 1 USD

Utilities: electricity 3000 Malawi kwacha up to 10,000 a month

Water 2000 Mk up to Mk 10,000 a month
Food: 5000 up to 20,000 a month

Health 5000 to 10,000 Mk a montheducation 20,000Mk to 100,000 Mk per term, and there are three terms
Recreation 3,000-20000 Mk a month.

While in Mangochi life is as follow. Food is very expensive except beans and vegetables only are bit fair.
This place is along the lake Malawi, but fish here are more expensive than in other cities. A tilapia fish is sold 700-1000 Mk per fish. Generally food costs 5000 to 10,000 a month for moderate person. Poor people here suffers more. Rent costs from 4,000 to 7,000 a house without electricity, while with electricity costs 10,000 to 25,000( up to 30,000) Mk

Electricity 4000 to 7000 Mk a month
Water also is 3000 to 10,000 Mk a month
Medical care is 5000 to 7000 Mk a month
In general Life in Malawi is extremely expensive currently due to lack of foreign currency.