Moving to Burkina Faso from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Burkina Faso — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Burkina Faso. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ouagadougou averages 95°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
Get free moving quotes to Burkina Faso
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland and Burkina Faso stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs better than Burkina Faso 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Burkina Faso 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
Switzerland generally does better on environment, though Burkina Faso 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
Switzerland performs better than Burkina Faso across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Switzerland performs better than Burkina Faso 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Burkina Faso leads in education spending.
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 | Bern | Ouagadougou |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 96°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 99°/78°F (37°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 89°/72°F (32°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 95°/67°F (35°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Ouagadougou |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 91°/62°F (32.9°/16.5°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 96°/66°F (35.8°/19.1°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 101°/74°F (38.3°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 103°/80°F (39.3°/26.4°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 100°/79°F (37.7°/26.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 94°/75°F (34.7°/24.1°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 90°/73°F (32.1°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 90°/72°F (32.5°/22.4°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 96°/73°F (35.6°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 97°/67°F (35.9°/19.6°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 92°/62°F (33.4°/16.9°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Agence Nationale de la Météorologie du Burkina Faso
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Burkina Faso. To live, work, or study long-term in Burkina Faso, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Burkina Faso's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Burkina Faso
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Burkina Faso passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Burkina Faso?
With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Burkina Faso can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Switzerland and Burkina Faso.
Is Burkina Faso safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Burkina Faso across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Burkina Faso compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Burkina Faso leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Burkina Faso, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. Burkina Faso scores 40 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Burkina Faso compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Ouagadougou is 95°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Ouagadougou receives around 29.3 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Burkina Faso?
The official language in Burkina Faso is French. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
