Currency in Malawi: MWK Send & Spend FX Guide
Resources for Expats, Travelers and Entrepreneurs Navigating Life and Trade in Malawi with the Malawian kwacha.
What's in this Malawi currency guide?
What currency is used in Malawi?
The official currency of Malawi (country code: MW) is the Malawian kwacha, with symbol MK and currency code MWK.
What is a good Malawian kwacha exchange rate?
The BestExchangeRates.com currency comparison table below helps you see the total cost of your currency transaction by showing the exchange rates offered by different providers. It also makes it easy to spot potential savings from market-leading FX services compared to bank rates.
To see a full list of rates, enter your transaction type, currencies and amount then click ‘GET RATES’:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What currency should I use in Malawi?
The domestic currency in Malawi is the Malawian kwacha.
What is the Malawian kwacha currency code and symbol?
The three letter currency code for the Malawian kwacha is MWK — symbol is MK.
Which countries use the Malawian kwacha?
It is the domestic currency in Malawi.
Is the Malawian kwacha a closed currency?
No, the Malawian kwacha is freely available and convertible. See guide: What is a closed currency?
What are equivalent amounts of USD and MWK?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for USD to MWK (US dollar to Malawian kwacha)*.
| USD | MWK |
|---|
| USD | MWK |
|---|---|
| $ 0.5770 | MK 1,000 |
| $ 2.8850 | MK 5,000 |
| $ 11.54 | MK 20,000 |
| $ 57.70 | MK 100,000 |
More amounts
*Converted at the current USDMWK interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Travel money for Malawi
Using Wise for Malawian kwacha travel money is a smart choice for savvy travelers. With its competitive exchange rates and low fees, Wise allows you to convert and manage multiple currencies effortlessly.
Be careful when using your own bank's Debit/Credit Card, as your bank may also charge an extra 3% as an “Overseas Transaction Charge” plus “Overseas ATM” fees for withdrawing cash on top of the standard Visa/Mastercard 2.5% from market mid-rate.
For card purchases, if you are offered a choice of currencies always select to Pay in Malawian kwacha otherwise you will typically get much worst dynamic currency conversion (DCC) exchange rates.
If you really want Malawian kwacha cash before departure, you can save money by ordering online. You generally get better rates and can pick up the MWK cash locally or even on travel day at the airport.
USD/MWK Market Data
The below interactive chart displays the USD/MWK change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
Send Money to Malawi - Best Rates
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to Malawi you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
Get a better deal for foreign transfers to Malawi
When sending money to Malawi it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
- Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
- You specify the local or Malawian kwacha amount you want to transfer
- Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
- Once your funds are received by the provider the converted MWK amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in Malawi.
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more Malawian kwacha deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!
