Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Vientiane

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,068 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Vientiane

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bali and in Vientiane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Bali vs $1,068 in Vientiane, rent included.

Bali $1,224
Vientiane $1,068

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Bali vs $1,615 in Vientiane, rent included.

Bali $2,064
Vientiane $1,615

A family of three spends $2,904 per month in Bali vs $2,161 in Vientiane, rent included.

Bali $2,904
Vientiane $2,161

Bali costs about 15% more than Vientiane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bali and Vientiane are more affordable than the global median – Bali 9% lower, Vientiane 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$2.63 LAK 58.6K

4.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

$18.00 LAK 401.4K

64.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

$5.45 LAK 121.6K

-13.03%

Cappuccino

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$1.75 LAK 39.0K

26.86%

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

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

101.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

$0.36 LAK 7,932

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$1.33 LAK 29.6K

66.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

$1.79 LAK 40.0K

102.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$2.06 LAK 46.0K

-30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

$1.13 LAK 25.1K

92.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$1.04 LAK 23.2K

7.69%

Eggs

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$1.85 LAK 41.3K

6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

$27.03 LAK 602.7K

-39.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

$6.22 LAK 138.7K

-41.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

$6.77 LAK 150.9K

70.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

$2.41 LAK 53.7K

39.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

$1.12 LAK 24.9K

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

$2.60 LAK 58.1K

-17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

$1.56 LAK 34.7K

21.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

$1.43 LAK 31.9K

25.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

111.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$0.53 LAK 11.7K

77.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,577

$0.36 LAK 8,089

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$1.81 LAK 40.5K

18.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

$10.27 LAK 229.1K

113.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

113.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

$2.04 LAK 45.4K

35.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,661

$0.46 LAK 10.3K

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

$48.94 LAK 1.1M

-83.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,853

$1.30 LAK 29.1K

-66.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,491

$0.90 LAK 20.1K

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

$4.48 LAK 99.8K

26.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

$1.49 LAK 33.3K

-39.60%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

$28.6K LAK 638.5M

-15.32%

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

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

$29.5K LAK 658.9M

6.62%

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$90.6 LAK 2.0M

-11.67%

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

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

$32.08 LAK 715.3K

-79.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

$12.43 LAK 277.2K

47.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

$47.24 LAK 1.1M

-3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

$7.76 LAK 173.0K

96.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

$4.20 LAK 93.6K

-11.67%

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

$614 LAK 13.7M

-27.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

$11.1K LAK 247.3M

-52.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

$26.82 LAK 598.2K

64.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

$66.9 LAK 1.5M

-49.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$56.8 LAK 1.3M

35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$40.91 LAK 912.2K

83.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 Rp 17.8M

$638 LAK 14.2M

55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Rp 10.5M

$415 LAK 9.2M

41.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

$1,226 LAK 27.3M

151.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

$750 LAK 16.7M

99.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

$2,303 LAK 51.3M

3.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

$1,132 LAK 25.2M

78.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$271 LAK 6.0M

-17.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

37.80%

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vientiane: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$588 48%

Vientiane

$415 38.5% 29.5% $174

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$274 22.4%

Vientiane

$256 23.8% 6.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Vientiane

$135 12.6% 28.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$104 8.5%

Vientiane

$86 8% 16.9% $18

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.3%

Vientiane

$73 6.8% 18.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Vientiane

$56 5.2% 5% $2.6

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Vientiane

$57 5.3% 386% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Bali versus $638 in Vientiane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Vientiane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali versus $18.00 in Vientiane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $256 – making Vientiane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

12:26 12:26 PM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

783,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Lao Kip exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,300 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD). 1 EUR = 25,011 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Vientiane 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Vientiane

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bali vs Vientiane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 15% more than Vientiane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,836 per month in Bali and $1,602 in Vientiane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vientiane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $18.00 in Vientiane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,224 in Bali and $1,068 in Vientiane. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Vientiane, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Bali at $1,224. In Vientiane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vientiane costs $1,068 versus $1,224 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vientiane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.