Moving to Zambia from Tajikistan

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Tajikistan to Zambia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Tajikistan to Zambia, you would find that Zambia is 6.5% more expensive than Tajikistan overall. A TJS690,000 salary in Tajikistan would need to be roughly ZMW1,590,000 in Zambia to maintain the same lifestyle, 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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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Tajikistan to Zambia.

What does your salary buy?

TJS690,000 → ZMW1,590,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Zambia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.8% more

Groceries

pay 71.0% more

Transportation

pay 9.8% more

Housing

pay 25.7% less

Childcare

pay 2.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 30.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TJS = 2.16 ZMW (October 2026)

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

How Tajikistan and Zambia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2020

per 100,000 people per year

TJ
0.9
ZM
5.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TJ
13.9
ZM
17.1

Tajikistan performs better than Zambia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TJ
$364
ZM
$244
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

TJ
18.7
ZM
3.2

Tajikistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TJ
159.0
ZM
50.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TJ
0.9t
ZM
0.5t

Zambia performs significantly better than Tajikistan across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TJ
1.0
ZM
0.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TJ
69.9%
ZM
2.8%

Tajikistan generally does better on infrastructure, though Zambia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TJ
6.9%
ZM
5.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TJ
$1,637
ZM
$1,318

Tajikistan generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TJ
71.9 yrs
ZM
66.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TJ
23.5
ZM
34.6

Tajikistan performs better than Zambia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Center of Legislation under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan (2016), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2015). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dushanbe Rain: 25.7 in/yr (653 mm)
72° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Lusaka Rain: 31.4 in/yr (798 mm)
80° / 59°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dushanbe Lusaka
Jan–Mar 52°/33°F (11°/0°C) 80°/62°F (27°/17°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/56°F (27°/13°C) 77°/55°F (25°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 92°/59°F (33°/15°C) 79°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/39°F (17°/4°C) 85°/64°F (29°/18°C)
View all months
Month Dushanbe Lusaka
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C)
Feb 49°/31°F (9.3°/-0.8°C) 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C)
Mar 59°/40°F (15.1°/4.4°C) 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C)
Apr 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.8°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C)
May 80°/55°F (26.8°/12.9°C) 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C)
Jun 91°/62°F (33.0°/16.8°C) 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 96°/65°F (35.7°/18.3°C) 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C)
Aug 94°/61°F (34.4°/16.0°C) 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C)
Sep 86°/52°F (29.9°/11.3°C) 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C)
Oct 74°/45°F (23.2°/7.1°C) 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C)
Nov 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.3°C) 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C)
Dec 51°/33°F (10.6°/0.3°C) 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C)

Data: Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Tajikistan 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.

Tajikistan passport

Tajikistan passport holder visiting Zambia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Tajikistan passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Zambia.
Zambia passport

Zambia passport holder visiting Tajikistan

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zambia passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Tajikistan.

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 Tajikistan?

Day-to-day costs in Zambia run about 6% higher than Tajikistan 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 TJS690,000 comparable salary, that's around ZMW397,500 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 Tajikistan and Zambia.

Is Zambia safe for expats?

Tajikistan performs better than Zambia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Tajikistan.

How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Tajikistan?

Tajikistan 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 18.7 in Tajikistan. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Tajikistan: 67).

What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Tajikistan?

The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 72°F in Dushanbe. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Dushanbe gets 25.7 in.

What language do they speak in Zambia?

The official language in Zambia is English. In Tajikistan, the official languages are Russian and Tajik.

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At a Glance

TJ ZM
Population 10,786,734 21,913,874
Currency Tajikistani Somoni (TJS) Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)
Languages Russian, Tajik English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +992 +260
Time zones 1 1