Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Vientiane

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,068 in Vientiane, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
Learn more

Vientiane Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka 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 Dhaka and in Vientiane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,068 in Vientiane.

Dhaka $426
Vientiane $1,068

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,615 in Vientiane.

Dhaka $735
Vientiane $1,615

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $2,161 in Vientiane.

Dhaka $1,043
Vientiane $2,161

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 60% less than in Vientiane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Vientiane 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$2.63 LAK 58.6K

-5.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$18.00 LAK 401.4K

-27.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$5.45 LAK 121.6K

-11.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$1.75 LAK 39.0K

33.71%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

-55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.36 LAK 7,932

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 LAK 29.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 LAK 40.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$2.06 LAK 46.0K

-61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.13 LAK 25.1K

-42.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$1.04 LAK 23.2K

-31.73%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$1.85 LAK 41.3K

-34.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$27.03 LAK 602.7K

-67.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$6.22 LAK 138.7K

-48.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$6.77 LAK 150.9K

-1.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$2.41 LAK 53.7K

13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$1.12 LAK 24.9K

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.60 LAK 58.1K

-8.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$1.56 LAK 34.7K

-58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$1.43 LAK 31.9K

-83.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$0.53 LAK 11.7K

-39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$0.36 LAK 8,089

-16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$1.81 LAK 40.5K

78.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 LAK 229.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LAK 45.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.46 LAK 10.3K

-8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$48.94 LAK 1.1M

-53.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.30 LAK 29.1K

-8.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$0.90 LAK 20.1K

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$4.48 LAK 99.8K

-25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.49 LAK 33.3K

-22.82%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$28.6K LAK 638.5M

5.80%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$29.5K LAK 658.9M

11.80%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$90.6 LAK 2.0M

-48.89%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$32.08 LAK 715.3K

-86.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$12.43 LAK 277.2K

-14.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$47.24 LAK 1.1M

-65.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$7.76 LAK 173.0K

107.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$4.20 LAK 93.6K

-1.67%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$614 LAK 13.7M

-85.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$11.1K LAK 247.3M

-76.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$26.82 LAK 598.2K

-38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$66.9 LAK 1.5M

-68.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$56.8 LAK 1.3M

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$40.91 LAK 912.2K

-10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$638 LAK 14.2M

-76.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$415 LAK 9.2M

-82.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$1,226 LAK 27.3M

-64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$750 LAK 16.7M

-71.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$2,303 LAK 51.3M

-29.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,132 LAK 25.2M

-32.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$271 LAK 6.0M

-7.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.80%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vientiane: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Vientiane

$256 23.8% 109% $133

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Vientiane

$415 38.5% 464% $341

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Vientiane

$73 6.8% 13.1% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Vientiane

$135 12.6% 121% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Vientiane

$86 8% 54.2% $30

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Vientiane

$57 5.3% 107% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Vientiane

$56 5.2% 126% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $638 in Vientiane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vientiane pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $18.00 in Vientiane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $256 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

783,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 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 BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Vientiane 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
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

Dhaka vs Vientiane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 151% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Vientiane. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Dhaka versus $638 in Vientiane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $1,068 in Vientiane – a 151% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 117% less than in Vientiane. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,068 in Vientiane, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Vientiane. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Vientiane are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Vientiane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.