Moving to Zambia from Pakistan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Pakistan to Zambia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Pakistan to Zambia, you would find that Zambia is 92.2% more expensive than Pakistan overall. A PKR21,000,000 salary in Pakistan would need to be roughly ZMW2,900,000 in Zambia to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Pakistan and Zambia.
What does your salary buy?
PKR21,000,000 → ZMW2,900,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zambia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 66.6% more
Groceries
pay 2.9 times more
Transportation
pay 21.6% more
Housing
pay 95.5% more
Childcare
pay 5.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.8% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Zambia compared to Pakistan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Pakistan performs better than Zambia 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
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in health coverage index.
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 Pakistan 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
Pakistan 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
Pakistan performs better than Zambia across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though Pakistan leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan (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 | Islamabad | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Islamabad | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Pakistan 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.
Pakistan passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zambia passport holder visiting Pakistan
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 Pakistan?
On average Zambia is around 92% pricier than Pakistan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Zambia?
Budget about ZMW725,000 for 3 months in Zambia (based on a PKR21,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Zambia: 0.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Zambia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Zambia safe for expats?
Pakistan performs better than Zambia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Pakistan.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Pakistan?
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in health coverage index. There are 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 11.6 in Pakistan. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Pakistan: 45).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Pakistan?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 84°F in Islamabad. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Islamabad gets 49.1 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language in Zambia is English. In Pakistan, the official languages are English and Urdu.
