Moving to Australia from Zambia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zambia to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zambia to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.7 times more expensive than Zambia overall. A ZMW1,500,000 salary in Zambia would need to be roughly A$292,000 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Australia cheaper than Zambia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.1 times more
Groceries
pay 40.9% more
Transportation
pay 67.8% more
Housing
pay 4.5 times more
Childcare
pay 4.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 times 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 Australia?
What does your salary buy?
ZMW1,500,000 → A$292,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Australia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Zambia to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Zambia to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
79.8,153
Zambia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Zambia and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs significantly 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
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Zambia generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Australia 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
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in top income tax 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
Australia performs significantly better than Zambia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016), Australian Taxation Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Australia vs Zambia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lusaka | Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 69°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 75°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lusaka | Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) | 78°/65°F (25.4°/18.1°C) |
| Apr | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) | 74°/60°F (23.3°/15.3°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) | 69°/54°F (20.6°/12.5°C) |
| Jun | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) | 64°/49°F (18.0°/9.7°C) |
| Jul | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) | 63°/48°F (17.4°/8.7°C) |
| Aug | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) | 66°/49°F (18.9°/9.7°C) |
| Sep | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.0°C) |
| Oct | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) | 73°/58°F (22.8°/14.4°C) |
| Nov | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) | 75°/61°F (23.8°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) | 78°/65°F (25.5°/18.3°C) |
Data:
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD),
Bureau of Meteorology
Can you move from Zambia to Australia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Zambia passport holder visiting Australia
Visa Required
Australia passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Zambia?
Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 169% higher than Zambia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZMW1,500,000 comparable salary, that's around A$73,000 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
With 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Zambia and Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than Zambia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.2 in Zambia.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Zambia?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 40.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 3.2 in Zambia. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Zambia?
The average high temperature in Sydney is 72°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Sydney receives around 48.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
Both Zambia and Australia share the same official language: English.
