A Basic Needs basket (BNB) study by Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) has shown that the cost of living has gone up by 3%. The report follows a prior report by the same firm, noting that in January 2019, the cost of living increased to K194 483 in January from K190 543, contrary to various predictions of a drop in the cost of goods and services in the short to medium-term largely due to the improvements registered in the economy and the projected increase in crop yield.

According to the report, in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Zomba bid fairly, as a family of six needed at least K119 000, K113 000 and K115 000, respectively, to earn a living, while the study also sampled municipalities such as Karonga, which showed that a family of six spent over K122 000 compared to Mangochi’s K96 000.

Figures from the study show that Mzuzu had the highest cost of living, as a family of six six spent over K122 000 compared to Mangochi’s K96 000.