Living in Manzini, Eswatini

Manzini is a smaller city in Eswatini (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 20°C over the year with about 906 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,146 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Eswatini is hard to obtain.

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Est. cost: €2,146; a month for a couple
Climate: 20°C; 906 mm rain a year
Size: Smaller; under 250,000 people
Safety: 46/100; country-level
Residency: Hard to obtain; for most foreigners

Limited data for Eswatini. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Eswatini are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Eswatini, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Manzini

More affordable than 86% of the cities we compare
Long-term residency is hard to obtain

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. Long-term residency runs essentially through an employer-sponsored work permit or a business-person permit for someone actively running a local enterprise; there is no retirement, passive-income, or golden-visa route.

For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Healthcare

Eswatini scores 50 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 7% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Eswatini: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Safety and stability

Eswatini scores 46 out of 100 on safety, safer than 12% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 3.0 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Eswatini: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2021) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,146 a month to live centrally in Manzini, 21% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 86% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Climate

Manzini averages 20°C across the year with about 906 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 54% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Questions couples ask about Manzini

Is Manzini a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Manzini scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and political stability. Our figures for Eswatini are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, moderately wet climate (20°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Manzini and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Manzini?

We estimate about €2,146 a month for a couple living centrally, 21% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Eswatini, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Eswatini long term?

Our assessment: hard to obtain. Long-term residency runs essentially through an employer-sponsored work permit or a business-person permit for someone actively running a local enterprise; there is no retirement, passive-income, or golden-visa route.

What is the weather like in Manzini?

Manzini averages 20°C across the year with about 906 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 54% of the cities we track.