The cost of living for an average urban household of six in Malawi declined slightly in February 2026, by 4.6 percent from K1,029,025 in January to K981,732.
This is according to the latest Cost of Living Analysis report published by the Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM).
The report, which tracks the basic needs basket covering essential food and non-food items alongside transport costs, shows that food prices drove much of the decline, falling by an average of 7.16 percent from K695,120 in January to K645,323 in February.
Among the notable price movements, beans dropped sharply from K6,500 to K4,000 per kilogram, beef fell from K23,978 to K17,000 per kilogram, sweet potatoes declined from K3,000 to K2,000 per kilogram, and cassava eased from K4,000 to K3,000 per kilogram.
Excluding transport, the total cost of the basic needs basket decreased from K929,025 in January to K881,732 in February, representing a decline of 5.09 percent.
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However, not all food prices moved downward. Tomatoes rose from K2,500 to K2,900 per kilogram, a 16 percent increase, while onions jumped significantly from K3,300 to K4,500 per kilogram, marking a 36.36 percent rise. Chickens price also edged up from K7,140 to K7,890 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, non-food items recorded a modest increase of 1.07 percent, rising from K233,905 to K236,409, with glycerin and Vaseline recording the steepest non-food price hikes.
Critically, the price of maize, the country’s staple food, remained unchanged at K50,000 per 50-kilogram bag, offering no relief to the majority of households whose diets depend heavily on the crop.
Rent, electricity, water bills and transport costs also all remained unchanged from the previous month.
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Economist Veli Nyirongo cautioned against reading too much into the numbers, warning that the figures may not reflect the lived reality of most Malawian families.
He added that the broader economic environment continues to pose serious challenges.
“Inflation remains high at nearly twenty-five percent, meaning that prices are still considerably higher than they were a year ago despite the slight month-to-month decline recorded in February,” Nyirongo said.
Another economist Marvin Banda said the current decline reflects recovery where relief is distributed unequally across social groups.
“What consumers need is not merely temporary breathing space that affects the economy disproportionately, but continuous stable low maize prices, affordable transport, predictable utility costs, and incomes that keep pace with inflation,” Banda said.
