Moving to Samoa from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Samoa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to Samoa, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Samoan. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Apia averages 86°F vs 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Norway and Samoa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than Samoa 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
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa 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
Norway generally does better on environment, though Samoa leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Samoa 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
Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Samoa leads in top income tax 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
Norway performs better than Samoa across all family life metrics.
Data: Norwegian Tax Administration, 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 | Oslo | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
Norwegian Meteorological InstituteVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Samoa. To live, work, or study long-term in Samoa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Samoa's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting Samoa
Visa on Arrival
Samoa passport holder visiting Norway
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 Samoa?
With 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Samoa can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Norway and Samoa.
Is Samoa safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Samoa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Samoa is 6.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Samoa compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Samoa, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Samoa scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Samoa compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Apia is 86°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Apia receives around 116.7 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Samoa?
The official languages in Samoa are English and Samoan. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
