CFSC BASIC NEEDS BASKET: LILONGWE, BLANTYRE, ZOMBA & MZUZU
APRIL 2009
(A) COST OF BASIC FOOD ITEMS FOR A FAMILY OF SIX IN LILONGWE, ZOMBA, BLANTYRE & MZUZU
Commodity
Maize (50 Kg Bag)
Milling (Including Grinding)
Beans (0.8kg/day) 8 Days
Usipa (250g/day) 4 days
Dry Utaka (200g/day) 4 days
Kapenta (200g/day) 4 days
Beef (1 kg/day) 4 days
Eggs (12/day) 4 days
Rape (750g/day) for 30 days
Tomato (0.5 kg/day) 30 days
Onion (116g/day) 30 days
Fresh Milk (250mls/day) 30 days
Kazinga Cooking Oil
Bread (5 bkfts/week) 20 days
Sugar (2 kgs/week)
Kitchen Salt
Tea (Chisangalalo)
Cassava (2kgsx2bkfsts/wk)
Sub-total (Food Basket)
Lilongwe
Zomba
Kwacha Total Kwacha Total
1785
3570 1333
2666
54
756
48
672
173
1107
211
1350
1044
1044
700
700
1253
1002
758
606
775
620
650
520
586
2344
421
1684
25
1200
25 1200
74
1665
78
1755
157
2355
189 2835
235
823
211
739
89
1335
94 1410
464
1392
573 1719
131
2620
139 2780
129
1032
131 1048
86
86
102
102
14
560
10 400
42
672
54
864
MK24, 183 MK23, 050
Quantity
2 Bags
14 Tins
6.4 Kg
1 Kg
0.8 Kg
0.8 Kgs
4 Kgs
48
22.5 Kgs
15 Kgs
3.5 Kgs
15x500 ml pkt
3x 1 Liters
20 Loaves
8 Kgs
1 Kg
40 x 25g
16 Kgs
Blantyre
Kwacha Total
2292
4584
40
560
201
1286
1510
1510
1418
1074
1142
914
500
2000
24
1152
56
1260
214
3210
221
774
94
1410
549
1647
158
3 160
138
1104
97
97
14
560
50
800
MK27, 162
Mzuzu
Kwacha Total
2140
4280
68
952
268
1715
660
660
950
760
1183
946
500
2000
24
1152
83
1868
198
2970
252
882
100
1500
480
1440
132
2640
134
1072
122
122
15
600
41
656
MK26, 215
2000
4000
106
1060
91
728
116
232
128
256
2900
2900
2500
2500
8300
8300
MK19, 876
MK47, 038
1700 3400
133
1330
98
784
142
284
135
270
1400
1400
1600
1600
7500
7500
MK16, 568
MK42, 783
(B) COST OF ESSENTIAL NON-FOOD ITEMS
Charcoal (50 Kgs)
Protex
Boom
Clere Body Lotion
Vaseline Blue Seal
Electricity (Meter)
Running Water (Meter)
Housing (3 Bed roomed)
Sub-total
Total for Basic Needs Basket
Totals from
previous
months for
Lilongwe
April 08
Amount
36, 553
May
2008
38, 564
2 Bags
10 Tablets
8 Packets
2 x 400 Mls
2 x 100 Mls
Average/Month
Average/Month
Rent/Month
1378
102
80
119
115
2520
1400
13000
June 08 Jul 2008 Aug 08
41, 147
41, 791
Sep 08
43, 170
2756
1020
640
238
230
2520
1400
13000
MK21, 804
MK45, 987
1400 2800
104 1040
88
704
112
224
127
254
2400 2400
1700 1700
9500 9500
MK18, 622
MK41, 672
Oct. 08 Nov. 08 Dec. 08
43, 659
46, 367
49, 250
49, 225
Jan. 09
49, 982
Feb. 09
Mar. 09
51, 812
50, 159
(C) SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL COSTS
Lilongwe
Education (per year)
Secondary (fees)
5,500
Primary (GPF)
500
Uniform/shoes (Primary)
1,840
Uniform/shoes (Secondary 3,325
Other (pens, books, etc.)
3,600
Zomba
7,525
504
2,050
3,670
3,626
Blantyre
Mzuzu
6,430
775
3, 250
4, 220
2,283
5, 000
480
1, 300
2, 742
Fuel (cost at the pump)
Diesel (per litre)
199.30
Petrol (per litre)
213.50
Paraffin (per litre)
132.20
Minibus fare to town and back LL: MK160 – MK180;
BT: 140.00; ZA: MK120 – MK160;
MZ: MK100 – MK160
(D) SOME COMPARATIVE FIGURES OF WAGES-- (NET PAY)
Teacher (K)
Monthly
Wage.
K15, 422 K17, 203
Nurse (I)
K37, 275K32, 893
Petrol/Diesel
Attendant
K7, 000K10, 000
Waiter in Local
Restaurants
K3, 000K8, 000
Shop
Attendant
K5, 000K10, 000
Security Guard
in Private Firm
K3, 000
K5, 000
The Social Conditions Research Program of the Centre for Social Concern conducted these surveys from 20th to 24th April 2009 in the
cities of Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.
Center for Social Concern, P.O. Box 40049, Lilongwe, Malawi
Tel: 265-1-715-632 Fax: 260-1-716-136 E-mail: cfsc@malawi.net; Location: Next to St. Francis Catholic Parish, Area 25C, Kanengo
Website: www.cfscmalawi.org