Moving to Zambia from Colombia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Colombia to Zambia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Colombia to Zambia, you would find that Zambia is 39.8% cheaper than Colombia overall. A COP240,000,000 salary in Colombia would need to be roughly ZMW893,000 in Zambia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lusaka averages 80°F vs 61°F in Bogota, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Colombia to Zambia.
What does your salary buy?
COP240,000,000 → ZMW893,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zambia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 42.4% less
Groceries
pay 3.0% more
Transportation
pay 32.1% less
Housing
pay 57.7% less
Childcare
pay 30.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Colombia and Zambia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Colombia generally does better on safety, though Zambia leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Colombia generally does better on environment, though Zambia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Colombia generally does better on infrastructure, though Zambia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Colombia generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Colombia performs better than Zambia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN) (2016), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bogota | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bogota | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Data:
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies,
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Colombia and Zambia. To live, work, or study long-term in Zambia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zambia's immigration authority.
Colombia passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa on Arrival
Zambia passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Zambia than Colombia?
Generally yes: Zambia runs about 40% cheaper than Colombia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Zambia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a COP240,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ZMW223,250 in Zambia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
With 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zambia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Colombia and Zambia.
Is Zambia safe for expats?
Colombia generally does better on safety, though Zambia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 24.9 in Colombia.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Colombia?
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 25.4 in Colombia. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Colombia: 80).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Colombia?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 61°F in Bogota. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Bogota gets 31.5 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language in Zambia is English. In Colombia, the official language is Spanish.
