Blantyre at a glance
- Essentials in Blantyre run $348 a month.
- The average net salary of $334 covers that 1.0×.
- 91.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 8.3 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $348 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $115 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $227 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $106 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $80 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $27 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $20 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $334 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $390 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $601 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Blantyre, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.00 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $13.37 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.89 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.72 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.08 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.76 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.87 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.47 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.03 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.34 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.00 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.71 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $3.56 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.62 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.21 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.34 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.08 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.33 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.34 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.80 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.50 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $0.00 |
| Taxi start | $0.59 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.52 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.55 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $26.72 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $7.95 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $59.37 |
|---|
Dating-age sex ratio
Blantyre has 91.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 2nd-highest of 4 Malawi cities we track. Malawi's national figure is 93.8, so Blantyre runs 2 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Blantyre ranks against every city we track
Blantyre sits ahead of 93% of the 981 cities we track on cost of living. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 88% of 1074. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 9% of 1022.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Blantyre sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Blantyre on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Blantyre beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Blantyre in the research deskOr unlock the Malawi deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: SMuyila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated