Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,154 in Laos, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Laos
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Laos Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,154

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Laos and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Laos versus $791 in China.

Laos $1,154
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,755 in Laos versus $1,251 in China.

Laos $1,755
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,356 in Laos versus $1,711 in China.

Laos $2,356
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $1,076–$1,393 in Laos. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Laos is roughly 46% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Laos 15% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 LAK 50.9K

$2.98 ¥19.81

-23.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.46 LAK 391.3K

$22.09 ¥147

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 LAK 116.1K

$5.20 ¥34.60

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$1.77 LAK 39.5K

$2.97 ¥19.74

-40.40%

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

$0.76 LAK 17.1K

$0.48 ¥3.19

58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LAK 8,996

$0.30 ¥2.01

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 LAK 28.0K

$1.08 ¥7.18

15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 LAK 39.1K

$2.28 ¥15.15

-23.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 LAK 44.5K

$1.80 ¥11.96

10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 LAK 26.0K

$1.68 ¥11.15

-30.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 LAK 22.5K

$0.92 ¥6.13

9.78%

Eggs

$1.91 LAK 42.9K

$1.61 ¥10.73

18.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.05 LAK 516.4K

$13.38 ¥89.0

72.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 LAK 141.3K

$3.35 ¥22.28

88.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 LAK 149.3K

$11.35 ¥75.5

-41.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 LAK 39.1K

$1.82 ¥12.12

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 LAK 25.8K

$1.31 ¥8.69

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 LAK 57.2K

$1.49 ¥9.89

71.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 LAK 35.0K

$1.27 ¥8.47

22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 LAK 33.1K

$0.71 ¥4.73

108.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.5K

$0.93 ¥6.21

12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 LAK 24.1K

$0.62 ¥4.12

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 LAK 11.7K

$0.56 ¥3.74

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 LAK 39.0K

$3.78 ¥25.15

-53.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 LAK 227.6K

$12.13 ¥80.7

-16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 LAK 26.0K

$0.83 ¥5.54

39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 LAK 38.9K

$1.68 ¥11.21

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 LAK 11.0K

$0.29 ¥1.91

68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 LAK 1.3M

$17.83 ¥119

227.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 LAK 26.9K

$1.49 ¥9.89

-19.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 LAK 21.9K

$0.37 ¥2.49

164.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 LAK 97.6K

$7.10 ¥47.23

-38.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 LAK 31.6K

$1.26 ¥8.37

11.90%

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

$28.9K LAK 647.6M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

48.63%

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

$29.2K LAK 654.6M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

66.60%

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

$86.5 LAK 1.9M

$54.6 ¥363

58.50%

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

$19.89 LAK 445.7K

$8.73 ¥58.1

127.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 LAK 246.7K

$11.07 ¥73.6

-0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 LAK 1.2M

$40.77 ¥271

34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 LAK 174.2K

$14.48 ¥96.4

-46.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 LAK 75.9K

$6.78 ¥45.12

-50.00%

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

$329 LAK 7.4M

$517 ¥3,437

-36.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K LAK 240.6M

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-45.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.99 LAK 1.1M

$46.53 ¥310

7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 LAK 1.4M

$35.66 ¥237

71.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 LAK 1.6M

$77.0 ¥512

-6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.1 LAK 1.1M

$80.3 ¥534

-36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 LAK 17.7M

$386 ¥2,567

104.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LAK 11.0M

$235 ¥1,561

109.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 LAK 34.1M

$822 ¥5,469

85.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 LAK 21.0M

$453 ¥3,015

106.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,533 LAK 56.8M

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-46.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 LAK 20.2M

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-62.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 LAK 11.0M

$1,093 ¥7,274

-55.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.06

3.46

190.75%

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

Last update for Laos: October 24, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Laos

$490 42.5%

China

$235 29.6% 52.2% $256

Groceries & Markets

Laos

$244 21.2%

China

$210 26.5% 14% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laos

$117 10.2%

China

$74 9.4% 36.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Laos

$105 9.1%

China

$108 13.6% 2.3% $2.4

Eating Out

Laos

$69 6%

China

$88 11.1% 27.1% $19

Getting Around

Laos

$66 5.8%

China

$22 2.8% 66.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Laos

$62 5.3%

China

$54 6.9% 11.8% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $874 in Laos, $298 in China. Capital cities: $642 in Vientiane vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $234 in Laos, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 193% higher in Laos.

Dining out costs 22% more in China.

Public transport is 194% more expensive in Laos.

Salaries are about 3.7 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Laos

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

1 h ahead of Laos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,858,160

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇦 Lao Kip (₭)

Lao Kip exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,407 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD). 1 EUR = 25,019 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Laos China 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Laos
China

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

Laos vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,154 in Laos, China comes out about 31% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $874 in Laos and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.