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 $2,509 per month in Australia vs $408 in Laos, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Australia vs $622 in Laos, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,772 per month in Australia vs $836 in Laos, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 515% higher than in Laos on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 83% above the global median, while Laos is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.52

$2.27 LAK 50.7K

700.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$17.70 LAK 394.7K

385.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.27

$5.28 LAK 117.6K

105.87%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.78

$1.65 LAK 36.8K

149.09%

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

$3.04 A$4.28

$0.76 LAK 17.1K

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.47

$0.45 LAK 10.0K

448.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.05

$1.29 LAK 28.7K

510.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.21

$1.77 LAK 39.5K

350.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.43

$2.01 LAK 44.8K

-13.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$1.11 LAK 24.7K

150.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.34

$1.05 LAK 23.3K

126.67%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.14

$1.84 LAK 41.0K

176.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.02

$23.07 LAK 514.5K

-56.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$12.98

$6.14 LAK 136.8K

50.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.76

$6.76 LAK 150.7K

129.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.24

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

103.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.25

$1.11 LAK 24.8K

172.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.54

$2.56 LAK 57.2K

26.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.86

$1.50 LAK 33.5K

225.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.04

$1.42 LAK 31.6K

102.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.32

$1.10 LAK 24.5K

114.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.50

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

132.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.35

$0.54 LAK 11.9K

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.1

$1.78 LAK 39.7K

2063.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.02

$9.95 LAK 221.8K

43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.12

$1.17 LAK 26.0K

333.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.29

$1.85 LAK 41.3K

180.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.91

$0.50 LAK 11.1K

456.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$57.9 LAK 1.3M

63.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.95

$1.26 LAK 28.0K

179.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.24

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$56.8

$4.43 LAK 98.9K

812.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.79

$1.36 LAK 30.4K

-6.62%

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

$28.3K A$39.8K

$28.8K LAK 642.6M

-1.62%

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

$28.6K A$40.2K

$28.9K LAK 645.1M

-0.99%

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

$202 A$284

$87.1 LAK 1.9M

131.63%

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

$29.08 A$40.86

$19.72 LAK 439.7K

47.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$83.7

$11.07 LAK 246.9K

438.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.3

$55.6 LAK 1.2M

6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.28

$7.82 LAK 174.4K

157.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.12

$3.28 LAK 73.1K

380.18%

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

$2,197 A$3,087

$320 LAK 7.1M

587.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.6K

$10.6K LAK 236.7M

71.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$111

$50.5 LAK 1.1M

57.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.4

$63.6 LAK 1.4M

-9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$160

$73.1 LAK 1.6M

56.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$175

$52.4 LAK 1.2M

138.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,221

$799 LAK 17.8M

97.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,813

$481 LAK 10.7M

168.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,555

$1,554 LAK 34.7M

62.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,784

$969 LAK 21.6M

104.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.0K

$2,574 LAK 57.4M

232.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,598

$890 LAK 19.9M

587.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,591

$483 LAK 10.8M

724.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

10.06

-41.05%

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

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Last update for Laos: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,387 in Australia vs $300 in Laos. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,829 in Canberra and $657 in Vientiane.

Average salary: $3,903 in Australia vs $236 in Laos. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 362% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1300% more in Australia.

Public transport is 339% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1554% 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 227% 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 227% 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.