Moving to Laos from Papua New Guinea
What to Expect
Considering a move from Papua New Guinea to Laos? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Papua New Guinea to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Laos compared to Papua New Guinea.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Papua New Guinea performs 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
Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Papua New Guinea leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Papua New Guinea performs 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
share of households with internet
Laos generally does better on infrastructure, though Papua New Guinea leads in water stress level.
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
Laos performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea 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
Papua New Guinea generally does better on family life, though Laos leads in education spending.
Data: Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea, 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 | Port Moresby | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/74°F (32°/24°C) | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 91°/76°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/74°F (32°/24°C) | 85°/67°F (30°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Port Moresby | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C) |
| Feb | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C) |
| Mar | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C) | 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C) |
| Apr | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C) |
| May | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) | 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C) |
| Jun | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C) | 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C) | 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C) |
| Sep | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) | 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Nov | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Dec | 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C) | 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C) |
Data:
Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service,
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Papua New Guinea 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.
Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Laos
Visa on Arrival
Laos passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Laos?
Connectivity is usually fine (Laos: 2.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Laos offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Laos safe for expats?
Papua New Guinea performs better than Laos across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Laos compared to Papua New Guinea?
Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Papua New Guinea leads in suicide rate. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 0.6 in Papua New Guinea. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Papua New Guinea: 30).
What's the weather like in Laos compared to Papua New Guinea?
The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 88°F in Port Moresby. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Port Moresby gets 35.4 in.
What language do they speak in Laos?
The official language in Laos is Lao. In Papua New Guinea, the official languages are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin.
