Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and Pakistan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $1,154 in Laos, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Laos
Pakistan
🇱🇦 Laos
$1,154
/mo nomad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$483
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Laos and in Pakistan

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 Pakistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Laos versus $483 in Pakistan.

  • Laos $1,154
  • Pakistan $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,755 in Laos versus $736 in Pakistan.

  • Laos $1,755
  • Pakistan $736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,356 in Laos versus $988 in Pakistan.

  • Laos $2,356
  • Pakistan $988

Laos ($1,076–$1,393) and Pakistan ($291–$607) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Laos is roughly 139% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Laos 15% lower, Pakistan 65% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.27 LAK 50.9K
$2.11 PKR 583
7.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.46 LAK 391.3K
$13.97 PKR 3,866
24.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.18 LAK 116.1K
$5.50 PKR 1,523
-5.82%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.22 PKR 616
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.31 PKR 1,193
-
Cappuccino
$1.77 LAK 39.5K
$1.97 PKR 546
-10.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 LAK 17.1K
$0.38 PKR 105
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 LAK 8,996
$0.23 PKR 63.7
73.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.25 LAK 28.0K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 LAK 39.1K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.99 LAK 44.5K
$0.87 PKR 240
128.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 LAK 26.0K
$0.60 PKR 165
93.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 LAK 22.5K
$1.21 PKR 335
-16.53%
Eggs
$1.91 LAK 42.9K
$1.21 PKR 334
57.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.05 LAK 516.4K
$5.42 PKR 1,500
325.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.31 LAK 141.3K
$2.83 PKR 783
122.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.66 LAK 149.3K
$5.06 PKR 1,400
31.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.75 LAK 39.1K
$1.20 PKR 331
45.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.15 LAK 25.8K
$0.64 PKR 176
79.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 LAK 57.2K
$0.87 PKR 241
193.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 LAK 35.0K
$0.54 PKR 149
188.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.48 LAK 33.1K
$0.33 PKR 91.8
348.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 LAK 23.5K
$0.39 PKR 108
169.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 LAK 24.1K
$0.37 PKR 104
189.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 LAK 11.7K
$0.41 PKR 113
26.83%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.08 PKR 575
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.07 PKR 296
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.36 PKR 652
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.74 LAK 39.0K
$2.14 PKR 593
-18.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.16 LAK 227.6K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 LAK 26.0K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 LAK 38.9K
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.49 LAK 11.0K
$0.20 PKR 55.0
145.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.4 LAK 1.3M
$10.01 PKR 2,768
483.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 LAK 26.9K
$0.88 PKR 243
36.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 LAK 21.9K
$0.56 PKR 155
75.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 LAK 97.6K
$2.22 PKR 614
96.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 LAK 31.6K
$1.29 PKR 357
9.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K LAK 647.6M
$17.8K PKR 4.9M
62.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.2K LAK 654.6M
$24.3K PKR 6.7M
20.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.5 LAK 1.9M
$110 PKR 30.5K
-21.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.89 LAK 445.7K
$5.41 PKR 1,496
267.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.01 LAK 246.7K
$15.79 PKR 4,369
-30.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.9 LAK 1.2M
$18.50 PKR 5,119
196.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.77 LAK 174.2K
$11.09 PKR 3,067
-29.94%
Cinema Ticket
$3.39 LAK 75.9K
$4.32 PKR 1,195
-21.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$329 LAK 7.4M
$56.4 PKR 15.6K
483.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K LAK 240.6M
$1,511 PKR 418.2K
610.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.99 LAK 1.1M
$17.56 PKR 4,859
184.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0 LAK 1.4M
$23.58 PKR 6,523
158.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 LAK 1.6M
$76.7 PKR 21.2K
-6.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.1 LAK 1.1M
$35.08 PKR 9,706
45.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$789 LAK 17.7M
$150 PKR 41.5K
425.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 LAK 11.0M
$87.4 PKR 24.2K
461.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,521 LAK 34.1M
$320 PKR 88.7K
374.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$937 LAK 21.0M
$190 PKR 52.5K
393.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,533 LAK 56.8M
$970 PKR 268.5K
161.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$900 LAK 20.2M
$520 PKR 144.0K
72.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Laos
Pakistan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$491 LAK 11.0M
$192 PKR 53.2K
155.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.06
14.1
-28.65%

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

Last update for Laos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Laos
$490
Pakistan
$87 82.2% $403
Groceries & Markets
Laos
$244
Pakistan
$94 61.5% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Laos
$117
Pakistan
$131 12% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Laos
$105
Pakistan
$69 34.7% $37
Eating Out
Laos
$69
Pakistan
$59 14.2% $9.8
Getting Around
Laos
$66
Pakistan
$14 78.2% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Laos
$62
Pakistan
$27 56% $34

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $874 in Laos, $137 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $642 in Vientiane vs $261 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $234 in Laos, $185 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 538% higher in Laos.

Dining out costs 38% more in Laos.

Public transport is 430% more expensive in Laos.

Salaries are 26% higher in Laos, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Pakistan.

Good to know
🇱🇦 Laos
🇵🇰 Pakistan
🕒 Local time
03:04 3:04 AM
01:04 1:04 AM
2 h behind Laos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,858,160
223,773,700
💱 Currency
Lao Kip LAK ₭
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

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

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Laos Pakistan 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Laos
  • Pakistan

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Laos or Pakistan?
At $1,154 per month in Laos and $483 in Pakistan, Pakistan comes out about 58% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Laos or Pakistan?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Laos and Pakistan?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $874 in Laos and $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in Laos and in Pakistan?
It depends on what you’re after: Pakistan wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Laos vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?