Moving to Sri Lanka from Laos
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Laos to Sri Lanka — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Laos to Sri Lanka, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Laos and Sri Lanka stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Laos 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka performs significantly 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
Laos generally does better on infrastructure, though Sri Lanka leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Laos leads in education spending.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Vientiane | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/76°F (33°/24°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/67°F (30°/20°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Vientiane | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR,
National Meteorological Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Laos and Sri Lanka. To live, work, or study long-term in Sri Lanka, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sri Lanka's immigration authority.
Laos passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Laos
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?
With 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sri Lanka can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Laos and Sri Lanka.
Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Laos across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Laos?
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Laos leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 3.3 in Laos. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Laos: 52).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Laos?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 88°F in Vientiane. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Vientiane gets 65.4 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Laos, the official language is Lao.
