Moving to Philippines from Samoa

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Samoa to Philippines. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

WS
6.3
PH
4.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

WS
9.6
PH
9.7

Samoa generally does better on safety, though Philippines leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

WS
$475
PH
$560
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

WS
5.6
PH
7.9

Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa 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
PH
92.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

WS
1.6t
PH
1.5t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

WS
0.9
PH
7.1
Internet access United Nations SDG Indicators, 2024

share of households with internet

WS
75.3%
PH
67.3%

Samoa generally does better on infrastructure, though Philippines 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%
PH
2.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

WS
$5,873
PH
$4,171

Samoa generally does better on employment & economy, though Philippines leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

WS
71.8 yrs
PH
70.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

WS
12.3
PH
21.7

Samoa performs better than Philippines 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), Bureau of Internal Revenue (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Philippines vs Samoa

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Manila Rain: 86.7 in/yr (2201 mm)
88° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Apia Manila
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) 87°/75°F (31°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) 91°/79°F (33°/26°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) 88°/78°F (31°/26°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) 87°/77°F (30°/25°C)
View all months
Month Apia Manila
Jan 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C)
Feb 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C)
Mar 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C)
Apr 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C)
May 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C)
Jun 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C)
Jul 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C)
Aug 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C)
Sep 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C)
Oct 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C)
Nov 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C)
Dec 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C)

Data: Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

Can you move from Samoa to Philippines?

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

Samoa passport

Samoa passport holder visiting Philippines

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

Philippines passport holder visiting Samoa

Visa on Arrival
Philippines 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 Philippines?

With 7.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Philippines 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 Philippines.

Is Philippines safe for expats?

Samoa generally does better on safety, though Philippines leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.3 in Samoa.

How is healthcare in Philippines compared to Samoa?

Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 5.6 in Samoa. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Samoa: 55).

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

The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 86°F in Apia. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Apia gets 116.7 in.

What language do they speak in Philippines?

The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In Samoa, the official languages are English and Samoan.

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At a Glance

WS PH
Population 219,306 116,786,962
Currency Samoan Tala (WST) Philippine Peso (₱)
Languages English, Samoan English, Filipino
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +685 +63
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number — 911