Moving to Somalia from Zambia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Zambia to Somalia, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Somali. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZM
17.1
SO
20.2

Zambia performs better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZM
$244
SO
$52
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ZM
2.6
SO
0.2

Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia 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

ZM
50.0
SO
64.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZM
0.5t
SO
0.0t

Zambia generally does better on environment, though Somalia 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
SO
0.7
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZM
2.8%
SO
24.5%

Zambia generally does better on infrastructure, though Somalia 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%
SO
19.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZM
$3,700
SO
$1,500

Zambia generally does better on employment & economy, though Somalia leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ZM
66.3 yrs
SO
55.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZM
37.1
SO
86.5

Zambia performs better than Somalia 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

Mogadishu Rain: 18.7 in/yr (474 mm)
86° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lusaka Mogadishu
Jan–Mar 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) 86°/74°F (30°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 88°/76°F (31°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) 84°/73°F (29°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) 87°/75°F (30°/24°C)
View all months
Month Lusaka Mogadishu
Jan 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) 86°/73°F (30.1°/23.0°C)
Feb 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C)
Mar 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) 87°/76°F (30.7°/24.7°C)
Apr 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) 90°/78°F (32.0°/25.5°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) 88°/76°F (31.1°/24.7°C)
Jun 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.6°C)
Jul 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C)
Aug 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C)
Sep 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.2°C)
Oct 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.2°C)
Nov 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) 87°/75°F (30.5°/24.1°C)
Dec 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Zambia passport

Zambia passport holder visiting Somalia

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

Somalia passport holder visiting Zambia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Somalia 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 Somalia?

With 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Somalia 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 Somalia.

Is Somalia safe for expats?

Zambia performs better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Somalia compared to Zambia?

Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 0.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Somalia, compared to 2.6 in Zambia. Somalia scores 27 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).

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

The average high temperature in Mogadishu is 86°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Mogadishu receives around 18.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.

What language do they speak in Somalia?

The official languages in Somalia are Arabic and Somali. In Zambia, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

ZM SO
Population 19,642,123 12,386,248
Currency Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) Somali Shilling (SOS)
Languages English Arabic, Somali
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +260 +252
Time zones 1 1