Moving to Cameroon from Zambia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Zambia to Cameroon? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Zambia to Cameroon, you would find that Cameroon is 14.7% more expensive than Zambia overall. A ZMW1,500,000 salary in Zambia would need to be roughly FCFA50,700,000 in Cameroon to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Zambia and Cameroon.
What does your salary buy?
ZMW1,500,000 → FCFA50,700,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Cameroon
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.7% less
Groceries
pay 0.7% less
Transportation
pay 1.2% less
Housing
pay 39.7% more
Childcare
pay 15.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.0% less
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
The numbers behind daily life in Cameroon compared to Zambia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Zambia generally does better on safety, though Cameroon leads in road traffic deaths.
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 performs better than Cameroon across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 Cameroon 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
Cameroon generally does better on infrastructure, though Zambia leads in electricity per capita.
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
Cameroon 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Zambia generally does better on family life, though Cameroon leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lusaka | Yaounde |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) | 88°/67°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 84°/68°F (29°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 83°/66°F (28°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lusaka | Yaounde |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.2°C) |
| Feb | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) | 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.0°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) | 92°/68°F (33.4°/19.9°C) |
| Apr | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) | 85°/68°F (29.5°/20.1°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) | 84°/68°F (28.7°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) | 82°/67°F (27.5°/19.3°C) |
| Jul | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) | 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) | 79°/66°F (26.3°/19.0°C) |
| Sep | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) | 81°/67°F (27.2°/19.6°C) |
| Oct | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.9°C) |
| Nov | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) | 83°/67°F (28.2°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) | 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.1°C) |
Data:
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD),
Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia and Cameroon. To live, work, or study long-term in Cameroon, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cameroon's immigration authority.
Zambia passport holder visiting Cameroon
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Cameroon passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 Cameroon than Zambia?
On average Cameroon is around 15% pricier than Zambia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Cameroon?
Budget about FCFA12,675,000 for 3 months in Cameroon (based on a ZMW1,500,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Cameroon?
Connectivity is usually fine (Cameroon: 2.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Cameroon offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Cameroon safe for expats?
Zambia generally does better on safety, though Cameroon leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Cameroon is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.2 in Zambia.
How is healthcare in Cameroon compared to Zambia?
Zambia performs better than Cameroon across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Cameroon, compared to 3.2 in Zambia. Cameroon scores 44 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).
What's the weather like in Cameroon compared to Zambia?
The average high temperature in Yaounde is 84°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Yaounde receives around 62.2 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Cameroon?
The official languages in Cameroon are English and French. In Zambia, the official language is English.
