Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Laos Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Laos

Name: Laos
Address: LA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $501 in Laos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $778 in Laos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $1,054 in Laos.

Living in Italy is roughly 243% more expensive than Laos on average.

Italy (28% above) and Laos (63% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$2.38 LAK 52.0K

632.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$18.79 LAK 410.3K

322.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$5.70 LAK 124.4K

106.32%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$1.65 LAK 36.0K

21.21%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$0.66 LAK 14.5K

354.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.41 LAK 8,929

229.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$1.32 LAK 28.7K

350.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$1.53 LAK 33.4K

250.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.89 LAK 41.2K

-13.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.93 LAK 20.3K

159.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.06 LAK 23.1K

182.08%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$1.88 LAK 40.9K

110.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$23.54 LAK 513.8K

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$5.77 LAK 126.0K

115.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$6.11 LAK 133.4K

232.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.80 LAK 39.3K

37.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.36 LAK 29.6K

58.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.10 LAK 45.8K

26.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$2.31 LAK 50.4K

47.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.61 LAK 35.2K

19.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.07 LAK 23.4K

69.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.26 LAK 27.6K

23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.49 LAK 10.6K

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$1.96 LAK 42.8K

246.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$10.48 LAK 228.8K

-31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.07 LAK 23.4K

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.16 LAK 25.3K

108.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.59 LAK 12.9K

238.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$59.1 LAK 1.3M

-28.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$1.61 LAK 35.1K

268.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.19 LAK 26.0K

26.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$4.78 LAK 104.4K

612.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.30 LAK 28.5K

57.69%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$29.8K LAK 650.6M

10.17%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$29.0K LAK 632.7M

16.20%

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

$225 €194

$85.3 LAK 1.9M

164.35%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$20.18 LAK 440.6K

-34.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$11.50 LAK 251.0K

169.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$58.9 LAK 1.3M

-5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$7.86 LAK 171.5K

219.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$2.46 LAK 53.7K

316.67%

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

$576 €495

$312 LAK 6.8M

84.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$9,461 LAK 206.5M

10.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$52.8 LAK 1.2M

73.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$64.0 LAK 1.4M

-36.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$75.9 LAK 1.7M

29.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$53.4 LAK 1.2M

144.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$858 LAK 18.7M

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$654 LAK 14.3M

1.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$1,248 LAK 27.2M

18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$1,137 LAK 24.8M

-4.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$2,572 LAK 56.1M

49.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$633 LAK 13.8M

272.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$500 LAK 10.9M

286.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

10.12

-56.42%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Laos: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $335 in Laos. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $859 in Vientiane.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $233 in Laos. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 122% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 1133% more in Italy.

Public transport is 144% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 736% higher in Italy, giving Italy 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

Italy vs Laos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $786 in Laos, there's a 134% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Laos is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Laos across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Laos, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Laos wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.