Moving to Lesotho from Samoa

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Samoa to Lesotho — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Samoa to Lesotho. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Maseru averages 74°F vs 86°F in Apia, making it significantly cooler.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Samoa and Lesotho stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2018

per 100,000 people per year

WS
6.2
LS
37.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

WS
9.6
LS
21.6

Samoa performs better than Lesotho across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

WS
$474
LS
$386
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

WS
5.5
LS
1.5

Samoa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lesotho leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

WS
34.0
LS
100.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

WS
1.6t
LS
0.4t

Samoa generally does better on environment, though Lesotho leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

WS
0.8
LS
0.4
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

WS
78.0%
LS
48.0%

Samoa performs better than Lesotho across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

WS
9.8%
LS
16.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

WS
$6,000
LS
$2,500

Samoa performs better than Lesotho across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

WS
75.2 yrs
LS
59.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

WS
17.0
LS
48.4

Samoa generally does better on family life, though Lesotho leads in education spending.

Data: Ministry of Revenue, Samoa, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Maseru Rain: 25.3 in/yr (642 mm)
74° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Apia Maseru
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) 81°/57°F (27°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) 67°/39°F (20°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) 68°/37°F (20°/3°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) 79°/53°F (26°/12°C)
View all months
Month Apia Maseru
Jan 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) 84°/59°F (28.7°/14.8°C)
Feb 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) 82°/58°F (27.6°/14.6°C)
Mar 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) 78°/54°F (25.7°/12.5°C)
Apr 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C)
May 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) 67°/39°F (19.7°/3.7°C)
Jun 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) 62°/32°F (16.7°/0.2°C)
Jul 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) 62°/31°F (16.9°/-0.5°C)
Aug 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) 67°/36°F (19.7°/2.4°C)
Sep 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) 74°/44°F (23.3°/6.9°C)
Oct 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) 77°/50°F (24.8°/10.1°C)
Nov 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) 79°/53°F (26.3°/11.9°C)
Dec 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) 82°/56°F (27.9°/13.4°C)

Data: Lesotho Meteorological Services Lesotho Meteorological Services

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Samoa and Lesotho. To live, work, or study long-term in Lesotho, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Lesotho's immigration authority.

Samoa passport

Samoa passport holder visiting Lesotho

Visa Free
Samoa passport holders can enter Lesotho without a visa.
Lesotho passport

Lesotho passport holder visiting Samoa

Visa on Arrival
Lesotho 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 Lesotho?

With 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Lesotho can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Samoa and Lesotho.

Is Lesotho safe for expats?

Samoa performs better than Lesotho across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Lesotho is 37.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.2 in Samoa.

How is healthcare in Lesotho compared to Samoa?

Samoa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lesotho leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Lesotho, compared to 5.5 in Samoa. Lesotho scores 53 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Samoa: 55).

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

The average high temperature in Maseru is 74°F, compared to 86°F in Apia. Maseru receives around 25.3 in of rainfall per year, while Apia gets 116.7 in.

What language do they speak in Lesotho?

The official languages in Lesotho are English and Sotho. In Samoa, the official languages are English and Samoan.

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At a Glance

WS LS
Population 206,179 2,193,970
Currency Samoan Tala (WST) Lesotho Loti (LSL)
Languages English, Samoan English, Sotho
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +685 +266
Time zones 1 1