Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Laos Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Laos

Name: Laos
Address: LA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $496 in Laos, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $775 in Laos, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $1,054 in Laos, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 340% higher than in Laos on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Laos is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$23.14

$2.33 LAK 51.3K

597.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$18.51 LAK 406.9K

329.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$14.08

$5.67 LAK 124.7K

74.25%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.09

$1.65 LAK 36.2K

116.36%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.70

$0.69 LAK 15.2K

275.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.41 LAK 9,110

421.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.18

$1.30 LAK 28.5K

395.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

$1.54 LAK 33.8K

353.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.89 LAK 41.4K

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.97 LAK 21.4K

155.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$1.02 LAK 22.5K

105.88%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.06

$1.98 LAK 43.5K

114.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.89

$23.52 LAK 517.2K

-61.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.31

$5.72 LAK 125.7K

51.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$20.04

$6.08 LAK 133.6K

131.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$1.84 LAK 40.5K

78.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$1.37 LAK 30.0K

104.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.05

$2.15 LAK 47.2K

32.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.30

$2.40 LAK 52.8K

84.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.63 LAK 35.8K

52.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.08

$1.06 LAK 23.4K

103.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.24

$1.32 LAK 29.1K

71.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.14

$0.49 LAK 10.8K

206.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$44.04

$1.99 LAK 43.7K

1452.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.93

$10.50 LAK 230.8K

33.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.31

$1.07 LAK 23.5K

313.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.91

$1.21 LAK 26.7K

300.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.15

$0.62 LAK 13.7K

369.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$59.1 LAK 1.3M

63.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.25

$1.55 LAK 34.0K

137.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$1.14 LAK 25.2K

53.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.4

$4.68 LAK 102.8K

716.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.30 LAK 28.7K

-11.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.2K A$41.6K

$30.1K LAK 661.1M

-2.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.4K A$31.9K

$29.9K LAK 656.3M

-25.00%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$178 A$254

$85.3 LAK 1.9M

108.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.86 A$38.29

$19.72 LAK 433.5K

36.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.1

$11.63 LAK 255.8K

353.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.6

$60.4 LAK 1.3M

-22.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.57

$7.80 LAK 171.4K

112.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.40

$2.52 LAK 55.4K

440.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,612 A$2,298

$314 LAK 6.9M

413.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.8K

$9,377 LAK 206.1M

33.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$51.5 LAK 1.1M

36.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.0

$64.8 LAK 1.4M

-20.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$147

$76.6 LAK 1.7M

34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$53.9 LAK 1.2M

102.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,988

$834 LAK 18.3M

67.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,540

$649 LAK 14.3M

66.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,233

$1,247 LAK 27.4M

81.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,479

$1,108 LAK 24.4M

56.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.6K

$2,597 LAK 57.1M

186.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,023

$619 LAK 13.6M

809.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,696

$494 LAK 10.9M

708.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

10.12

-37.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: June 14, 2026

Last update for Laos: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $336 in Laos. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $860 in Vientiane.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $237 in Laos. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 267% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1183% more in Australia.

Public transport is 272% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1526% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Laos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Laos is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 184% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Laos, contributing to the overall 184% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Laos, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Laos is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.