Moving to Zambia from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Zimbabwe to Zambia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to Zambia, you would find that Zambia is 6.4% cheaper than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly ZMW1,390,000 in Zambia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Zimbabwe to Zambia.
What does your salary buy?
ZWL24,000,000 → ZMW1,390,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zambia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 16.1% less
Groceries
pay 22.1% more
Transportation
pay 33.5% less
Housing
pay 10.6% less
Childcare
pay 7.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.0% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Zimbabwe to Zambia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Zambia?
Top countries of origin for Zambia's foreign-born residents.
- 50,661
- 31,424
-
3.16,816
Zimbabwe
- 13,422
- 10,460
- 9,202
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Zimbabwe to Zambia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Zambia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Zambia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all environment metrics.
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
Zimbabwe 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
Zimbabwe generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in unemployment 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 Zimbabwe leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2021). 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 | Harare | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe and Zambia. To live, work, or study long-term in Zambia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zambia's immigration authority.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Free
Zambia passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
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 Zambia than Zimbabwe?
Yes — Zambia is on average about 6% cheaper than Zimbabwe. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Zambia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZMW347,500 in Zambia on a ZWL24,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Zambia safe for expats?
Zambia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Zimbabwe?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language in Zambia is English. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Zambia
At a Glance
ZW
|
ZM
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 21,913,874 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | English |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +263 | +260 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | — |