Sticker Shock

                                                                                                                           March 7, 2013

I've wanted to make this post for a long time. People tend to think that Africa is poor so everything should be cheap. But I'd like to tell you that if you, as an expatriate, would like to have any of the conveniences of home, almost all of which are different here anyway, these are the prices that you can expect to pay. For those of you who would like to offer the opinion that we should live as the common Malawians do (because the Malawians who have money here drive nicer cars and have nicer clothes, hair, and houses than we personally ever did in the States) then I would respond that you are welcome to come do so and tell me how it works for you. There are people who are able to release all they know--even while they have small children--and live as the local people, and I respect them immensely.

Some of these items were found at Game stores, which is associated with Walmart.

Here it goes:

Stick Deodorant: 4640 mk, $12.18

2 pack Pilot G2 pens: 2980 mk, $7.82

Small wire trash can: 4880 mk, $12.77

Bleach, 1 Gallon: 9000 mk, $23.62

White flour: 1620 mk, $4.24

Plastic, basic high chair: 61,400 mk, $160.73

One bag of cheap diapers: 56 count, 9200 mk, $24.15

Snickers Minatures, one small bag: 3400 mk, $8.90

1 pack of 64 baby wipes: 2360 mk, $6.18

1 bag of six rolls of tp: 2940, $7.70

500 grams cocoa: 3200 mk, $8.38

C-cell battery: approximately $4.00

400 ml bottle Head and Shoulders Shampoo: 7100 mk, $18.59

1 gallon of motor oil: 13,450 mk, $35.21

Two door refrigerator/freezer, ON SALE: 599,000 mk, $1,572.18

Half size electric stove with four burners (fits half a cookie sheet), ON SALE: 210,000 mk, $551.18

One pound of butter: approximately $9.00-$10.00

Soccer ball, not superior quality: 11,000-15,000 mk, $28.87-39.37

Plain sheers, Walmart style: approximately $45.00

Diesel: $7.51/gallon

Petrol: $7.75/gallon

And last but not least.......

One bottle of CocaCola: $0.40

The cost of a vehicle from the 90s seems to average $10,000. The vehicles that I've seen advertised that are less than 10 years old are priced at least double that amount.

Local produce, which is found in season, is very affordable. The beans and rice must be thoroughly sorted and cleaned--a timely process! Beans can be found prepackaged that do not need to be sorted, but then you get to pay for that.

Also of interest are the uncommon flavors of some common items.

Ketchup: jalapeno, chili, and more!

Chips: Fruit chutney, spring onion and cheese, smoked beef, Mexican chili (which is weird because we have been able to find nothing Mexican in this country so far), and more!

Blueberry Mint Dentyne, anyone?

--shallena