Moving to Laos from Somalia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Somalia to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Somalia and Laos stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SO
20.2
LA
16.4

Laos performs significantly better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SO
$52
LA
$123
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SO
0.2
LA
3.3

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia 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

SO
64.0
LA
69.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SO
0.0t
LA
3.4t

Somalia performs better than Laos across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SO
0.7
LA
2.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SO
24.5%
LA
4.8%

Laos performs significantly better than Somalia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SO
19.0%
LA
1.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SO
$1,500
LA
$8,400

Laos performs significantly better than Somalia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SO
55.7 yrs
LA
68.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SO
86.5
LA
37.8

Laos performs significantly better than Somalia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Mogadishu Rain: 18.7 in/yr (474 mm)
86° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Mogadishu Vientiane
Jan–Mar 86°/74°F (30°/24°C) 87°/66°F (31°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) 91°/76°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/73°F (29°/23°C) 88°/76°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) 85°/67°F (30°/20°C)
View all months
Month Mogadishu Vientiane
Jan 86°/73°F (30.1°/23.0°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C)
Feb 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C)
Mar 87°/76°F (30.7°/24.7°C) 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C)
Apr 90°/78°F (32.0°/25.5°C) 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C)
May 88°/76°F (31.1°/24.7°C) 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.6°C) 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C)
Jul 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.2°C) 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C)
Oct 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.2°C) 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C)
Nov 87°/75°F (30.5°/24.1°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C)
Dec 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°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

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Somalia 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.

Somalia passport

Somalia passport holder visiting Laos

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

Laos passport holder visiting Somalia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Laos passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Somalia.

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?

With 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Laos can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Somalia and Laos.

Is Laos safe for expats?

Laos performs significantly better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Laos compared to Somalia?

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 0.2 in Somalia. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Somalia: 27).

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

The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 86°F in Mogadishu. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Mogadishu gets 18.7 in.

What language do they speak in Laos?

The official language in Laos is Lao. In Somalia, the official languages are Arabic and Somali.

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At a Glance

SO LA
Population 12,386,248 7,749,595
Currency Somali Shilling (SOS) Laotian Kip (LAK)
Languages Arabic, Somali Lao
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +252 +856
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 191