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: $408 in Laos versus $363 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $622 in Laos versus $575 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $836 in Laos versus $786 in India.

Living in Laos is roughly 12% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Laos 70% lower, India 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 LAK 50.7K

$2.11 ₹202

7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.70 LAK 394.7K

$10.62 ₹1,019

66.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 LAK 117.6K

$3.62 ₹348

45.86%

Cappuccino

$1.65 LAK 36.8K

$1.65 ₹159

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

$0.76 LAK 17.1K

$0.38 ₹36.28

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 LAK 10.0K

$0.14 ₹13.46

221.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 LAK 28.7K

$1.86 ₹179

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 LAK 39.5K

$3.22 ₹309

-45.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 LAK 44.8K

$0.68 ₹65.0

195.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 LAK 24.7K

$0.49 ₹47.28

126.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.3K

$0.66 ₹63.3

59.09%

Eggs

$1.84 LAK 41.0K

$0.87 ₹83.6

111.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.07 LAK 514.5K

$4.76 ₹456

384.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 LAK 136.8K

$2.79 ₹267

120.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 LAK 150.7K

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

$1.96 ₹188

-6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LAK 24.8K

$0.68 ₹65.3

63.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 LAK 57.2K

$0.95 ₹90.8

169.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 LAK 33.5K

$0.50 ₹48.31

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 LAK 31.6K

$0.34 ₹32.37

317.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 LAK 24.5K

$0.38 ₹36.89

189.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

$0.45 ₹42.90

137.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 LAK 11.9K

$0.31 ₹29.82

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 LAK 39.7K

$5.10 ₹489

-65.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 LAK 221.8K

$7.13 ₹684

39.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 LAK 26.0K

$1.70 ₹163

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 LAK 41.3K

$2.67 ₹256

-30.71%

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

$5.12 ₹491

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 LAK 11.1K

$0.27 ₹26.10

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.9 LAK 1.3M

$8.56 ₹821

576.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 LAK 28.0K

$0.90 ₹86.7

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

$0.25 ₹23.70

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 LAK 98.9K

$1.62 ₹155

173.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 LAK 30.4K

$1.07 ₹102

27.10%

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

$28.8K LAK 642.6M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

130.88%

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

$28.9K LAK 645.1M

$19.6K ₹1.9M

47.66%

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

$87.1 LAK 1.9M

$37.89 ₹3,635

129.96%

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

$19.72 LAK 439.7K

$3.61 ₹346

446.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 LAK 246.9K

$6.92 ₹664

59.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 LAK 1.2M

$14.49 ₹1,390

283.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.82 LAK 174.4K

$7.15 ₹686

9.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LAK 73.1K

$3.15 ₹302

4.13%

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

$320 LAK 7.1M

$57.2 ₹5,485

458.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K LAK 236.7M

$1,669 ₹160.1K

535.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 LAK 1.1M

$22.52 ₹2,161

124.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.6 LAK 1.4M

$24.70 ₹2,369

157.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 LAK 1.6M

$40.36 ₹3,872

81.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 LAK 1.2M

$30.64 ₹2,939

70.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 LAK 17.8M

$146 ₹14.0K

449.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 LAK 10.7M

$89.2 ₹8,557

439.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 LAK 34.7M

$334 ₹32.0K

365.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 LAK 21.6M

$214 ₹20.5K

353.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,574 LAK 57.4M

$1,206 ₹115.7K

113.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$890 LAK 19.9M

$613 ₹58.8K

45.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$483 LAK 10.8M

$435 ₹41.7K

10.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.06

8.93

12.65%

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

Last update for Laos: September 14, 2026

Last update for India: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $300 in Laos, $119 in India. Capital cities: $657 in Vientiane vs $270 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $236 in Laos, $405 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 152% higher in Laos.

Dining out costs 67% more in India.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in Laos.

Salaries are 72% 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 $527 per month in India and $683 in Laos, there's a 30% 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.