Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $489 in Laos versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Laos versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,042 in Laos versus $846 in India.

Living in Laos is roughly 26% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Laos 63% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 LAK 52.6K

$2.53 ₹244

-7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.68 LAK 419.9K

$13.73 ₹1,322

36.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 LAK 122.2K

$4.00 ₹385

36.00%

Cappuccino

$1.59 LAK 35.8K

$1.91 ₹184

-16.75%

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

$0.71 LAK 16.0K

$0.43 ₹41.85

65.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 LAK 9,367

$0.17 ₹16.11

147.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 LAK 30.4K

$1.93 ₹186

-30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 LAK 33.0K

$3.54 ₹341

-58.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 LAK 43.7K

$0.73 ₹69.9

165.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 LAK 22.3K

$0.52 ₹50.1

90.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 LAK 23.1K

$0.73 ₹69.9

41.10%

Eggs

$1.94 LAK 43.5K

$0.95 ₹91.4

104.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.04 LAK 540.4K

$5.32 ₹512

351.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 LAK 129.9K

$3.10 ₹299

86.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 LAK 139.9K

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 LAK 40.1K

$2.16 ₹208

-17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 LAK 30.6K

$0.70 ₹67.7

94.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 LAK 46.9K

$1.05 ₹101

99.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 LAK 52.9K

$0.53 ₹50.8

343.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 LAK 36.9K

$0.39 ₹37.66

320.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 LAK 24.2K

$0.48 ₹46.64

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 LAK 29.4K

$0.52 ₹49.78

151.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LAK 10.1K

$0.36 ₹34.33

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 LAK 43.7K

$4.02 ₹387

-51.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 LAK 225.5K

$7.28 ₹701

37.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 LAK 25.1K

$1.90 ₹183

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 LAK 26.9K

$3.03 ₹292

-60.40%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 LAK 13.0K

$0.36 ₹34.66

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 LAK 1.4M

$9.84 ₹948

512.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 LAK 34.8K

$0.95 ₹91.8

63.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 LAK 26.6K

$0.30 ₹29.03

293.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 LAK 102.3K

$1.79 ₹172

154.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 LAK 30.3K

$1.21 ₹117

11.57%

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

$30.2K LAK 678.5M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

117.90%

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

$29.9K LAK 672.8M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

33.37%

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

$85.0 LAK 1.9M

$40.16 ₹3,867

111.63%

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

$20.23 LAK 454.8K

$3.76 ₹362

438.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.24 LAK 252.7K

$8.04 ₹774

39.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 LAK 1.4M

$16.25 ₹1,565

271.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.81 LAK 175.6K

$7.56 ₹728

3.31%

Cinema Ticket

$2.44 LAK 54.9K

$3.43 ₹330

-28.86%

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

$311 LAK 7.0M

$69.7 ₹6,713

345.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,459 LAK 212.6M

$1,852 ₹178.3K

410.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 LAK 1.2M

$25.59 ₹2,463

103.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 LAK 1.4M

$26.30 ₹2,532

140.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 LAK 1.7M

$44.89 ₹4,322

64.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 LAK 1.2M

$33.20 ₹3,197

63.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 LAK 18.7M

$174 ₹16.8K

378.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 LAK 14.7M

$112 ₹10.8K

483.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 LAK 29.0M

$405 ₹39.0K

218.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 LAK 25.4M

$258 ₹24.8K

337.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,573 LAK 57.8M

$1,263 ₹121.6K

103.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$628 LAK 14.1M

$653 ₹62.8K

-3.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$481 LAK 10.8M

$424 ₹40.8K

13.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

9.02

12.20%

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

Last update for Laos: July 13, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $338 in Laos, $127 in India. Capital cities: $873 in Vientiane vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $235 in Laos, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 166% higher in Laos.

Dining out costs 83% more in India.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Laos.

Salaries are 69% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $589 per month in India and $762 in Laos, there's a 29% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: 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 Laos is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Laos it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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