Moving to Laos from El Salvador

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from El Salvador to Laos — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from El Salvador to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How El Salvador and Laos 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

SV
21.5
LA
16.4

Laos performs significantly better than El Salvador across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SV
$1,176
LA
$123
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SV
15.5
LA
3.3

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though El Salvador leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SV
31.0
LA
69.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SV
1.5t
LA
3.4t

El Salvador performs better than Laos across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SV
10.6
LA
2.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SV
13.2%
LA
4.8%

El Salvador generally does better on infrastructure, though Laos leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SV
2.8%
LA
1.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SV
$11,300
LA
$8,400

Laos generally does better on employment & economy, though El Salvador leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SV
75.4 yrs
LA
68.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SV
12.1
LA
37.8

El Salvador performs better than Laos across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

San Salvador Rain: 70.0 in/yr (1777 mm)
87° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

Vientiane Rain: 65.4 in/yr (1660 mm)
88° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months San Salvador Vientiane
Jan–Mar 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 87°/66°F (31°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/68°F (31°/20°C) 91°/76°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/67°F (30°/20°C) 88°/76°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 85°/67°F (30°/20°C)
View all months
Month San Salvador Vientiane
Jan 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.9°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C)
Feb 90°/64°F (32.0°/17.6°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C)
Mar 91°/65°F (32.7°/18.4°C) 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C)
Apr 91°/68°F (32.7°/19.8°C) 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C)
May 88°/69°F (31.1°/20.4°C) 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C)
Jun 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C)
Jul 87°/67°F (30.3°/19.5°C) 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C)
Aug 87°/67°F (30.4°/19.7°C) 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C)
Sep 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.6°C) 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C)
Oct 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.4°C) 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C)
Nov 86°/65°F (29.9°/18.4°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C)
Dec 86°/63°F (30.1°/17.4°C) 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C)

Data: Gerencia de Meteorología Gerencia de Meteorología, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between El Salvador 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.

El Salvador passport

El Salvador passport holder visiting Laos

Visa on Arrival
El Salvador passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Laos.
Laos passport

Laos passport holder visiting El Salvador

Visa Required
Laos passport holders need a visa to enter El Salvador.

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 El Salvador and Laos.

Is Laos safe for expats?

Laos performs significantly better than El Salvador across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Laos compared to El Salvador?

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though El Salvador leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 15.5 in El Salvador. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (El Salvador: 78).

What's the weather like in Laos compared to El Salvador?

The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 87°F in San Salvador. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while San Salvador gets 70.0 in.

What language do they speak in Laos?

The official language in Laos is Lao. In El Salvador, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

SV LA
Population 6,568,745 7,749,595
Currency Salvadoran Colón (SVC) Laotian Kip (LAK)
Languages Spanish Lao
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +503 +856
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 191