Moving to Guinea-Bissau from Zambia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Zambia to Guinea-Bissau, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese and Upper Guinea Creole. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bissau averages 90°F vs 80°F in Lusaka, making it significantly warmer.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Zambia and Guinea-Bissau stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2017

per 100,000 people per year

ZM
5.2
GW
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZM
17.1
GW
30.5

Zambia generally does better on safety, though Guinea-Bissau leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZM
$244
GW
$247
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ZM
2.6
GW
2.1

Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guinea-Bissau leads in suicide rate.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ZM
50.0
GW
89.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZM
0.5t
GW
0.2t

Zambia generally does better on environment, though Guinea-Bissau leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZM
0.4
GW
0.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZM
2.8%
GW
1.5%

Guinea-Bissau generally does better on infrastructure, though Zambia leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ZM
5.9%
GW
3.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZM
$3,700
GW
$2,400

Guinea-Bissau generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ZM
66.3 yrs
GW
63.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZM
37.1
GW
49.0

Zambia performs better than Guinea-Bissau across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

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

Bissau Rain: 69.1 in/yr (1756 mm)
90° / 67°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lusaka Bissau
Jan–Mar 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) 92°/67°F (33°/20°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 91°/66°F (33°/19°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) 87°/68°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) 90°/69°F (32°/21°C)
View all months
Month Lusaka Bissau
Jan 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) 90°/67°F (32.0°/19.4°C)
Feb 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.0°C)
Mar 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) 90°/63°F (32.1°/17.1°C)
Apr 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) 92°/64°F (33.4°/17.7°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) 91°/67°F (33.0°/19.3°C)
Jun 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) 89°/68°F (31.4°/20.0°C)
Jul 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) 88°/68°F (30.9°/20.1°C)
Aug 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) 86°/68°F (30.2°/20.2°C)
Sep 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) 86°/67°F (30.0°/19.3°C)
Oct 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) 90°/69°F (32.2°/20.5°C)
Nov 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) 90°/69°F (32.2°/20.6°C)
Dec 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C)

Data: Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia da Guiné-Bissau Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia da Guiné-Bissau

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Zambia passport

Zambia passport holder visiting Guinea-Bissau

Visa on Arrival
Zambia passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau passport

Guinea-Bissau passport holder visiting Zambia

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Guinea-Bissau?

With 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau.

Is Guinea-Bissau safe for expats?

Zambia generally does better on safety, though Guinea-Bissau leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Guinea-Bissau is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.2 in Zambia.

How is healthcare in Guinea-Bissau compared to Zambia?

Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guinea-Bissau leads in suicide rate. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Guinea-Bissau, compared to 2.6 in Zambia. Guinea-Bissau scores 37 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).

What's the weather like in Guinea-Bissau compared to Zambia?

The average high temperature in Bissau is 90°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Bissau receives around 69.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.

What language do they speak in Guinea-Bissau?

The official languages in Guinea-Bissau are Portuguese and Upper Guinea Creole. In Zambia, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

ZM GW
Population 19,642,123 2,026,778
Currency Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA)
Languages English Portuguese, Upper Guinea Creole
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +260 +245
Time zones 1 1