Cost of living hits K1.15 million in September

The cost of basic needs for an average urban household of six people rose to about K1.15 million in September 2026 from K1.11 million in August.

This has added financial pressure on households, which are already struggling with the high cost of living.

A Cost-of-Living Analysis Report for September 2026, published by the Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi, shows that the increase was largely driven by higher transport costs.

The report shows that the cost of basic needs, excluding transport, increased by 1.58 percent from K974,478 in August to K989,868 in September.

When transport expenses are included, the total cost of living rose by 3.18 percent from K1,114,748 to K1,149,868 over the same period.

Meanwhile, food costs increased from K656,109 in August to K666,499 in September, while the average price of a 50-kilogramme bag of maize remained unchanged at K55,000.

The cost of non-food items also rose from K318,369 to K323,369, with prices of daily essentials such as beans and rice increasing from K5,000 and K,3500 in August 2026 to K5,500 and K3,700, respectively, in September 2026.

The price of tomatoes decreased from K2,000 per Kg in August 2026 to K1,700 per kilogramme during the same period.

Ecam Chief Executive Officer George Khakhi attributed the increase to a sharp rise in transport costs towards the end of September, which he linked to fuel shortages.

“As much as we see stability in commodity prices, we saw a sharp increase in the transport costs, primarily due to the shortage of fuel on the market,” Khakhi said.

He said the rising cost of living was reducing consumers’ disposable income, weakening demand for goods and services and affecting industrial productivity.

The increase in the cost of living comes despite a further easing of headline inflation, which declined to 19.4 percent in September from 20 percent in August.

The latest rate marks the first time inflation has fallen below 20 percent since May 2022, when it stood at 19.1 percent.

Economist Marvin Banda said the decline may not offer lasting relief to households.

He said adverse weather conditions could reverse some of the recent gains in easing inflation if they affected agricultural output and pushed food prices upwards.