Moving to Laos from Cambodia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cambodia to Laos — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Cambodia to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Cambodia to Laos, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Cambodia and Laos stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Laos performs significantly better than Cambodia 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
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Laos 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
Cambodia 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
Cambodia generally does better on infrastructure, though Laos 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
Cambodia generally does better on employment & economy, though Laos leads in gdp per capita.
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
Cambodia generally does better on family life, though Laos leads in literacy rate.
Data: General Department of Taxation, 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 | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) | 91°/76°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) | 85°/67°F (30°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C) |
| Feb | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C) |
| Mar | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) | 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C) |
| Apr | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) | 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C) |
| May | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) | 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) | 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) | 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) | 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C) |
| Sep | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) | 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Nov | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Dec | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) | 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology,
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cambodia 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.
Cambodia passport holder visiting Laos
Visa Free
Laos passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa FreeData: 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 Cambodia and Laos.
Is Laos safe for expats?
Laos performs significantly better than Cambodia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Laos compared to Cambodia?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Laos leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 2.1 in Cambodia. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cambodia: 58).
What's the weather like in Laos compared to Cambodia?
The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 90°F in Phnom Penh. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Phnom Penh gets 51.8 in.
What language do they speak in Laos?
The official language in Laos is Lao. In Cambodia, the official language is Khmer.
