Moving to Laos from Nepal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Nepal to Laos — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Nepal to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Vientiane averages 88°F vs 77°F in Kathmandu, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Nepal and Laos stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Laos performs significantly better than Nepal 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
Nepal 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
Nepal generally does better on environment, though Laos leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Nepal 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
share of people below the poverty line
Laos performs significantly better than Nepal across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Nepal generally does better on family life, though Laos leads in literacy rate.
Data: 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 | Kathmandu | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/40°F (21°/4°C) | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 91°/76°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/67°F (28°/19°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/46°F (23°/8°C) | 85°/67°F (30°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kathmandu | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°/36°F (18.0°/2.1°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C) |
| Feb | 68°/39°F (20.2°/3.8°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C) |
| Mar | 76°/46°F (24.3°/7.5°C) | 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C) |
| Apr | 81°/52°F (27.4°/11.3°C) | 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C) |
| May | 83°/60°F (28.2°/15.5°C) | 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.0°C) | 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C) |
| Jul | 82°/68°F (27.7°/20.0°C) | 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 82°/67°F (28.0°/19.7°C) | 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C) |
| Sep | 81°/65°F (27.2°/18.2°C) | 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/55°F (25.8°/13.0°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Nov | 73°/45°F (22.7°/7.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Dec | 67°/37°F (19.4°/3.0°C) | 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C) |
Data:
Department of Hydrology and meteorology,
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nepal 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.
Nepal passport holder visiting Laos
Visa on Arrival
Laos passport holder visiting Nepal
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 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 Nepal and Laos.
Is Laos safe for expats?
Laos performs significantly better than Nepal across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Laos compared to Nepal?
Nepal 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 8.7 in Nepal. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nepal: 54).
What's the weather like in Laos compared to Nepal?
The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 77°F in Kathmandu. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Kathmandu gets 56.1 in.
What language do they speak in Laos?
The official language in Laos is Lao. In Nepal, the official language is Nepali.
