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 $502 in Laos, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $768 in Laos, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,034 in Laos, rent included.

Australia costs about 335% more than Laos on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% 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$22.73

$2.34 LAK 51.2K

594.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$18.79 LAK 411.4K

310.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$5.74 LAK 125.6K

70.91%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$1.66 LAK 36.4K

115.66%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.71 LAK 15.6K

261.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$0.45 LAK 9,819

384.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$1.35 LAK 29.5K

391.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$1.53 LAK 33.6K

365.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.85 LAK 40.6K

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$0.93 LAK 20.3K

172.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.02 LAK 22.3K

102.94%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$1.89 LAK 41.3K

126.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$23.76 LAK 520.3K

-63.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$5.64 LAK 123.5K

47.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$6.19 LAK 135.5K

124.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$1.86 LAK 40.8K

77.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$1.42 LAK 31.1K

95.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$2.16 LAK 47.4K

36.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$2.30 LAK 50.4K

82.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$1.61 LAK 35.3K

50.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$1.03 LAK 22.6K

103.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$1.26 LAK 27.6K

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.49 LAK 10.7K

206.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$2.04 LAK 44.7K

1448.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$10.39 LAK 227.5K

37.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$1.13 LAK 24.6K

306.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$1.15 LAK 25.2K

319.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.58 LAK 12.8K

420.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$60.8 LAK 1.3M

61.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$1.62 LAK 35.4K

114.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$1.14 LAK 25.0K

53.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$4.70 LAK 103.0K

707.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.29 LAK 28.3K

-6.20%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$29.3K LAK 640.9M

-0.80%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$30.0K LAK 657.2M

-24.82%

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

$177 A$248

$86.1 LAK 1.9M

105.93%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$19.79 LAK 433.4K

35.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$11.39 LAK 249.4K

360.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$58.2 LAK 1.3M

-18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$8.10 LAK 177.5K

103.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$2.46 LAK 53.8K

458.13%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$308 LAK 6.7M

417.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$9,169 LAK 200.8M

38.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$51.0 LAK 1.1M

41.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$64.2 LAK 1.4M

-20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$74.5 LAK 1.6M

38.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$53.0 LAK 1.2M

104.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$841 LAK 18.4M

66.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$648 LAK 14.2M

66.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$1,248 LAK 27.3M

87.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$1,124 LAK 24.6M

56.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$2,604 LAK 57.0M

196.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$636 LAK 13.9M

774.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$490 LAK 10.7M

716.53%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Laos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $336 in Laos. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $859 in Vientiane.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $239 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 1523% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 179% 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 179% 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.