Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $501 in Laos versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $778 in Laos versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Laos versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Laos costs about 30% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Laos 63% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 LAK 52.0K

$2.81 ¥18.98

-15.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.79 LAK 410.3K

$23.30 ¥158

-19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 LAK 124.4K

$5.01 ¥33.87

13.77%

Cappuccino

$1.65 LAK 36.0K

$3.01 ¥20.38

-45.18%

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

$0.66 LAK 14.5K

$0.45 ¥3.03

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LAK 8,929

$0.29 ¥1.97

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 LAK 28.7K

$0.95 ¥6.41

38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 LAK 33.4K

$2.05 ¥13.87

-25.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 LAK 41.2K

$1.76 ¥11.87

7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 LAK 20.3K

$1.62 ¥10.98

-42.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 LAK 23.1K

$0.95 ¥6.45

11.58%

Eggs

$1.88 LAK 40.9K

$1.56 ¥10.55

20.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.54 LAK 513.8K

$13.06 ¥88.3

80.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 LAK 126.0K

$3.28 ¥22.17

75.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.11 LAK 133.4K

$10.65 ¥72.0

-42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 LAK 39.3K

$1.78 ¥12.03

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 LAK 29.6K

$1.24 ¥8.42

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 LAK 45.8K

$1.50 ¥10.12

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 LAK 50.4K

$1.15 ¥7.79

100.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 LAK 35.2K

$0.75 ¥5.07

114.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 LAK 23.4K

$0.86 ¥5.81

24.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 LAK 27.6K

$0.62 ¥4.17

103.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 LAK 10.6K

$0.56 ¥3.81

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 LAK 42.8K

$3.51 ¥23.76

-44.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.48 LAK 228.8K

$11.66 ¥78.9

-10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LAK 23.4K

$0.80 ¥5.40

33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 LAK 25.3K

$1.66 ¥11.25

-30.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 LAK 12.9K

$0.43 ¥2.93

37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 LAK 1.3M

$20.86 ¥141

183.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 LAK 35.1K

$1.37 ¥9.26

17.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 LAK 26.0K

$0.35 ¥2.38

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 LAK 104.4K

$6.63 ¥44.82

-27.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LAK 28.5K

$1.14 ¥7.69

14.04%

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

$29.8K LAK 650.6M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

55.41%

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

$29.0K LAK 632.7M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

72.89%

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

$85.3 LAK 1.9M

$51.2 ¥346

66.64%

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

$20.18 LAK 440.6K

$10.16 ¥68.7

98.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.50 LAK 251.0K

$11.51 ¥77.9

-0.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 LAK 1.3M

$40.53 ¥274

45.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.86 LAK 171.5K

$15.05 ¥102

-47.77%

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 LAK 53.7K

$6.10 ¥41.26

-59.67%

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

$312 LAK 6.8M

$402 ¥2,719

-22.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,461 LAK 206.5M

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 LAK 1.2M

$45.57 ¥308

15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 LAK 1.4M

$33.26 ¥225

92.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 LAK 1.7M

$72.6 ¥491

4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 LAK 1.2M

$74.5 ¥503

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 LAK 18.7M

$429 ¥2,903

99.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 LAK 14.3M

$257 ¥1,739

154.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 LAK 27.2M

$895 ¥6,055

39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 LAK 24.8M

$541 ¥3,660

109.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,572 LAK 56.1M

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-48.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 LAK 13.8M

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-74.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 LAK 10.9M

$1,055 ¥7,132

-52.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.06

149.26%

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

Last update for Laos: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $335 in Laos, $286 in China. Capital cities: $859 in Vientiane vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $233 in Laos, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Laos.

Dining out costs 250% more in China.

Salaries are 270% higher in China, giving China 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

Laos vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $786 in Laos, there's a 10% 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 China 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 China, 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; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.