Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $486 per month in Laos vs $2,181 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $752 per month in Laos vs $3,218 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Laos vs $4,254 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Laos is roughly 78% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Laos sits 63% below the global median, while Australia is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 LAK 51.6K

$15.97 A$22.93

-85.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.63 LAK 420.3K

$79.0 A$113

-76.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 LAK 129.4K

$9.68 A$13.91

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$1.67 LAK 37.6K

$3.58 A$5.15

-53.35%

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

$0.67 LAK 15.1K

$2.56 A$3.68

-73.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LAK 10.0K

$2.22 A$3.19

-80.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 LAK 30.3K

$6.34 A$9.10

-78.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 LAK 34.5K

$6.95 A$9.98

-77.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 LAK 42.2K

$1.56 A$2.25

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 LAK 21.0K

$2.53 A$3.63

-63.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 LAK 23.9K

$2.00 A$2.87

-47.00%

Eggs

$1.94 LAK 43.8K

$4.26 A$6.12

-54.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.78 LAK 536.5K

$8.75 A$12.57

171.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 LAK 129.8K

$8.23 A$11.83

-30.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 LAK 141.3K

$14.15 A$20.33

-55.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 LAK 42.3K

$3.26 A$4.69

-42.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 LAK 30.6K

$2.81 A$4.04

-51.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 LAK 48.1K

$3.00 A$4.31

-29.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 LAK 54.5K

$4.31 A$6.19

-44.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 LAK 36.8K

$2.55 A$3.67

-36.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 LAK 23.2K

$2.16 A$3.10

-52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 LAK 29.6K

$2.22 A$3.19

-40.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LAK 10.2K

$1.53 A$2.20

-70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 LAK 44.8K

$31.28 A$44.93

-93.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 LAK 229.1K

$14.09 A$20.24

-27.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LAK 24.1K

$4.44 A$6.38

-75.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 LAK 26.9K

$4.90 A$7.05

-75.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 LAK 13.9K

$2.95 A$4.24

-78.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 LAK 1.4M

$95.9 A$138

-36.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 LAK 35.2K

$3.49 A$5.01

-55.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 LAK 26.8K

$1.84 A$2.64

-35.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 LAK 107.7K

$37.26 A$53.5

-87.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 LAK 29.5K

$1.17 A$1.68

11.97%

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

$29.9K LAK 674.8M

$28.7K A$41.3K

4.09%

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

$29.3K LAK 661.5M

$22.5K A$32.3K

30.52%

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

$85.3 LAK 1.9M

$173 A$249

-50.80%

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

$20.15 LAK 454.7K

$26.62 A$38.23

-24.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 LAK 257.9K

$53.1 A$76.2

-78.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 LAK 1.3M

$46.82 A$67.3

27.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 LAK 180.6K

$16.38 A$23.53

-51.16%

Cinema Ticket

$2.47 LAK 55.8K

$13.56 A$19.48

-81.78%

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

$316 LAK 7.1M

$1,571 A$2,256

-79.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,455 LAK 213.3M

$12.6K A$18.1K

-24.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 LAK 1.2M

$72.1 A$104

-29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 LAK 1.5M

$51.6 A$74.1

24.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 LAK 1.7M

$101 A$145

-26.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.1 LAK 1.2M

$108 A$155

-50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 LAK 18.8M

$1,398 A$2,008

-40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 LAK 14.8M

$1,086 A$1,560

-39.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 LAK 28.5M

$2,272 A$3,263

-44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 LAK 24.9M

$1,751 A$2,515

-37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,617 LAK 59.0M

$7,955 A$11.4K

-67.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 LAK 14.3M

$5,978 A$8,587

-89.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 LAK 11.0M

$4,053 A$5,822

-87.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.35

59.37%

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

Last update for Laos: July 26, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $333 in Laos vs $1,230 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $862 in Vientiane and $1,557 in Canberra.

Average salary: $228 in Laos vs $3,808 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 269% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1183% more in Australia.

Public transport is 253% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1570% 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

Laos vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Laos is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 192% 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 192% 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.