Moving to Zambia from Somalia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Somalia to Zambia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Somalia to Zambia, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Zambia compared to Somalia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Zambia performs significantly better than Somalia 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 Somalia 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
Somalia generally does better on environment, though Zambia leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Zambia generally does better on infrastructure, though Somalia leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Zambia generally does better on employment & economy, though Somalia leads in poverty 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
Zambia performs significantly better than Somalia across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Mogadishu | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 86°/74°F (30°/24°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/73°F (29°/23°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mogadishu | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/73°F (30.1°/23.0°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 87°/76°F (30.7°/24.7°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.0°/25.5°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 88°/76°F (31.1°/24.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.6°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.2°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.2°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 87°/75°F (30.5°/24.1°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Somalia 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.
Somalia passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zambia passport holder visiting Somalia
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Zambia: 0.4 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?
Zambia performs significantly better than Somalia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Somalia?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 0.2 in Somalia. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Somalia: 27).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Somalia?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 86°F in Mogadishu. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Mogadishu gets 18.7 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language in Zambia is English. In Somalia, the official languages are Arabic and Somali.
