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, you would find that Zambia is 50.2% more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,000,000 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly ZMW2,260,000 in Zambia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Zambia cheaper than Sri Lanka?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 39.5% more
Groceries
pay 44.4% more
Transportation
pay 45.7% more
Housing
pay 27.2% more
Childcare
pay 10.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.1% 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?
LKR25,000,000 → ZMW2,260,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zambia
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Zambia
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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 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Zambia leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Zambia vs Sri Lanka
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)
Can you move from Sri Lanka to Zambia?
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
Is it cheaper to live in Zambia than Sri Lanka?
Day-to-day costs in Zambia run about 50% higher than Sri Lanka on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 LKR25,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ZMW565,000 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 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 3.3 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 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 11.4 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.
