Living in Malawi
US$1 = Malawian Kwacha (MK) 140

1 banana: MK1-3
loaf of sliced bread: MK65
1 cup of "village rice" (with rocks!): MK20
1 muffin: MK25
1 tangerine: MK5
1 mango: MK5-10
minibus round trip, 80 km total, into capital city and back home: MK400
minibus round trip from lilongwe to kasungu: MK960
hitch hiking: FREE!!!!!!
bottle of coke/beer: MK65
1 egg: MK18
1 onion: MK3-7
1 tomato: MK3-7
pack of Dunhill cigarettes: MK225
pack of Safari cigarettes: MK50
pair of flip flops: MK100
2 cups small dried fish covered in flies that my dog loves: MK40
chicken sandwhich with a coke and fries (burger king style): MK820
a whole roasted chicken: MK400
1lb coffee: MK800
monthly salary of night watchman, Lilongwe district: MK2,000-2,500
maid/house worker per visit: MK250-400
monthly electric bill: MK1,000

My monthly stipend: almost MK29,000

Hope that gives some of you who have been asking an idea of how I'm living. I'm certainly not starving, as you can see. I hope this is helpful to anyone who is coming to Malawi and is needing information about the cost of living here. I know I wish I could have found something like this before I arrived!

I just got back from visiting a volunteer in Kasungu, north of Lilongwe. It was a beautiful drive up and back- especially back, as I was able to find a hitch in a pretty nice car and enjoy the scenery! Pretty soon we're all heading back to Dedza for our in-service training and after that, I'm hoping to go on vacation at the lakeshore. I hope all of you are doing well and I'm thinking of you!