Moving to Laos from Botswana
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Botswana to Laos — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Botswana to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Botswana and Laos stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Laos performs significantly better than Botswana 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
Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Botswana leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Botswana performs better than Laos 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
Botswana performs better than Laos across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Botswana generally does better on employment & economy, though Laos 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
Botswana generally does better on family life, though Laos leads in life expectancy.
Data: Botswana Unified Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Gaborone | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/66°F (31°/19°C) | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 91°/76°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/47°F (26°/8°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) | 85°/67°F (30°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Gaborone | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/67°F (32.5°/19.4°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C) |
| Feb | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.3°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C) |
| Mar | 86°/63°F (30.2°/17.4°C) | 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C) |
| Apr | 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.4°C) | 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C) |
| May | 78°/47°F (25.4°/8.3°C) | 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C) |
| Jun | 72°/40°F (22.5°/4.6°C) | 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/40°F (22.8°/4.6°C) | 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 78°/46°F (25.7°/7.6°C) | 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C) |
| Sep | 85°/54°F (29.6°/12.5°C) | 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 88°/61°F (31.0°/16.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Nov | 89°/64°F (31.5°/17.9°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Dec | 90°/66°F (32.3°/18.8°C) | 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C) |
Data:
Botswana Meteorological Services,
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Botswana and Laos. To live, work, or study long-term in Laos, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Laos's immigration authority.
Botswana passport holder visiting Laos
Visa on Arrival
Laos passport holder visiting Botswana
Visa Online (e-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 Laos?
With 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Laos can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Botswana and Laos.
Is Laos safe for expats?
Laos performs significantly better than Botswana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Laos compared to Botswana?
Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Botswana leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 3.8 in Botswana. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Botswana: 55).
What's the weather like in Laos compared to Botswana?
The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 83°F in Gaborone. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Gaborone gets 21.7 in.
What language do they speak in Laos?
The official language in Laos is Lao. In Botswana, the official languages are English and Tswana.
