Moving to Zambia from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sri Lanka to Zambia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Zambia, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Zambia leads in education spending.
Data: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Colombo | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka 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.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zambia passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
With 0.4 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 Sri Lanka and Zambia.
Is Zambia safe for expats?
Sri Lanka performs better than Zambia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language in Zambia is English. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
