Moving to Laos from Samoa

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Samoa to Laos? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Samoa 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 Samoa.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

WS
9.6
LA
16.4

Samoa performs better than Laos across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

WS
$475
LA
$123
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

WS
5.6
LA
3.3

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

WS
34.0
LA
69.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

WS
1.6t
LA
3.4t

Samoa performs better than Laos across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2023

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

WS
0.9
LA
2.7
Internet access United Nations SDG Indicators, 2024

share of households with internet

WS
75.3%
LA
65.6%

Samoa generally does better on infrastructure, though Laos leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

WS
5.0%
LA
1.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

WS
$5,873
LA
$2,325

Laos generally does better on employment & economy, though Samoa leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

WS
71.8 yrs
LA
69.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

WS
12.3
LA
27.2

Samoa performs better than Laos across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Revenue, Samoa (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Laos vs Samoa

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Apia Rain: 116.7 in/yr (2965 mm)
86° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Vientiane Rain: 65.4 in/yr (1660 mm)
88° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Apia Vientiane
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) 87°/66°F (31°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) 91°/76°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) 88°/76°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) 85°/67°F (30°/20°C)
View all months
Month Apia Vientiane
Jan 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C)
Feb 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C)
Mar 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C)
Apr 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C)
May 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C)
Jun 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C)
Jul 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C)
Aug 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C)
Sep 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C)
Oct 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C)
Nov 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C)
Dec 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C)

Data: Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR

Can you move from Samoa to Laos?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Samoa 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.

Samoa passport

Samoa passport holder visiting Laos

Visa on Arrival
Samoa passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Laos.
Laos passport

Laos passport holder visiting Samoa

Visa on Arrival
Laos passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Samoa.

Data: 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: 2.7 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?

Samoa performs better than Laos across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Laos compared to Samoa?

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 5.6 in Samoa. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Samoa: 55).

What's the weather like in Laos compared to Samoa?

The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 86°F in Apia. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Apia gets 116.7 in.

What language do they speak in Laos?

The official language in Laos is Lao. In Samoa, the official languages are English and Samoan.

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At a Glance

WS LA
Population 219,306 7,873,046
Currency Samoan Tala (WST) Laotian Kip (LAK)
Languages English, Samoan Lao
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +685 +856
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number — 191