Moving to Zambia from Nigeria
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Nigeria to Zambia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Nigeria to Zambia, you would find that Zambia is 18.8% more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN100,000,000 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly ZMW1,780,000 in Zambia to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Zambia cheaper than Nigeria?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 62.2% more
Groceries
pay 47.5% more
Transportation
pay 36.8% more
Housing
pay 23.0% less
Childcare
pay 60.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 80.0% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Zambia?
What does your salary buy?
NGN100,000,000 → ZMW1,780,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zambia
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Zambia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Nigeria to Zambia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Zambia?
Top countries of origin for Zambia's foreign-born residents.
- 50,661
- 31,424
- 16,816
- 13,422
- 10,460
- 9,202
- · · ·
-
18.625
Nigeria
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Nigeria to Zambia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Zambia performs significantly better than Nigeria across all safety metrics.
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
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Zambia performs significantly better than Nigeria across all environment metrics.
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
Zambia generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria leads in internet access.
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
Nigeria generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in gdp per capita.
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
Zambia performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Zambia vs Nigeria
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lagos | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/71°F (28°/22°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/72°F (31°/22°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lagos | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.2°/22.3°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 92°/74°F (33.1°/23.5°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 91°/75°F (32.7°/23.8°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.6°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 88°/74°F (30.9°/23.1°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/73°F (29.2°/22.6°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 83°/72°F (28.1°/22.1°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 83°/71°F (28.1°/21.7°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.9°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.3°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 88°/73°F (31.0°/22.6°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 89°/72°F (31.9°/22.4°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)
Can you move from Nigeria to Zambia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria 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.
Nigeria passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zambia passport holder visiting Nigeria
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 Nigeria?
No — Zambia is on average about 19% more expensive than Nigeria. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Zambia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZMW445,000 in Zambia on a NGN100,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Zambia safe for expats?
Zambia performs significantly better than Nigeria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 15.8 in Nigeria.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Nigeria?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 3.8 in Nigeria. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Nigeria?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 87°F in Lagos. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lagos gets 60.6 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
Both Nigeria and Zambia share the same official language: English.
