Moving to Samoa from Panama
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Panama to Samoa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Panama 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Panama 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
Panama generally does better on safety, though Samoa leads in homicide rate.
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
Panama 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
Panama 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
Panama generally does better on infrastructure, though Samoa leads in internet access.
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
Panama performs better than Samoa 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
Panama generally does better on family life, though Samoa leads in education spending.
Data: General Directorate of Revenues, Panama, 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 | Panama City | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) | 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Panama City | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) | 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) |
| Feb | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) |
| Mar | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) | 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) |
| Apr | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) | 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) |
| May | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) | 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) |
| Jul | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) | 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) |
| Aug | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) | 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) |
| Sep | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) |
| Nov | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
Data:
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Panama 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.
Panama passport holder visiting Samoa
Visa on Arrival
Samoa passport holder visiting Panama
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 Panama and Samoa.
Is Samoa safe for expats?
Panama generally does better on safety, though Samoa leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Samoa is 6.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.3 in Panama.
How is healthcare in Samoa compared to Panama?
Panama 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 17.3 in Panama. Samoa scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Panama: 78).
What's the weather like in Samoa compared to Panama?
The average high temperature in Apia is 86°F, compared to 93°F in Panama City. Apia receives around 116.7 in of rainfall per year, while Panama City gets 75.1 in.
What language do they speak in Samoa?
The official languages in Samoa are English and Samoan. In Panama, the official language is Spanish.
