Moving to California from Zambia

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Zambia to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Zambia to California. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Zambia to California.

Moved in 2023
360 ↑ 15% vs 2022

people moved from Zambia to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Zambia.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

ZM
8.1%
CA
28.4%

Zambia performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

ZM
21.0%
CA
92.6%

California performs significantly better than Zambia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ZM
5.9%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZM
$3,700
CA
$84,028

California performs significantly better than Zambia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ZM
66.3 yrs
CA
79.0 yrs

California performs significantly better than Zambia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Sacramento Rain: 18.5 in/yr (470 mm)
74° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lusaka Sacramento
Jan–Mar 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C)
View all months
Month Lusaka Sacramento
Jan 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)
Feb 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)
Mar 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)
Apr 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)
Jun 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)
Jul 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)
Aug 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)
Sep 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)
Oct 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)
Nov 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)
Dec 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C)

Data: Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Zambia passport

Zambia passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Zambia passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Zambia

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Zambia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from California?

From major California cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Zambia and California are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in California compared to Zambia?

Zambia performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.

What language do they speak in California?

Both Zambia and California share the same official language: English.

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At a Glance

ZM
Population 19,642,123 37,253,956
Currency Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English English
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +260 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 911