Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laos and Turkey

For one person, living is cheaper in Laos: $1,154 a month against $1,212 in Turkey, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. The total is higher in Turkey despite lower rent and utilities.

Laos
Turkey
🇱🇦 Laos
$1,154
/mo nomad
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,212
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Laos and in Turkey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Laos versus $1,212 in Turkey.

  • Laos $1,154
  • Turkey $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,755 in Laos versus $1,844 in Turkey.

  • Laos $1,755
  • Turkey $1,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,356 in Laos versus $2,475 in Turkey.

  • Laos $2,356
  • Turkey $2,475

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkey: monthly costs span $656 to $1,765, compared to $1,076–$1,393 in Laos. City choice carries more weight in Turkey.

Living in Laos costs about 5% less than in Turkey on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Laos 15% lower, Turkey 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.27 LAK 50.9K
$9.14 ₺456
-75.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.46 LAK 391.3K
$40.12 ₺2,003
-56.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.18 LAK 116.1K
$8.91 ₺445
-41.86%
Cappuccino
$1.77 LAK 39.5K
$3.75 ₺187
-52.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 LAK 17.1K
$1.47 ₺73.5
-48.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 LAK 8,996
$0.56 ₺27.71
-28.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.25 LAK 28.0K
$3.84 ₺192
-67.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 LAK 39.1K
$4.91 ₺245
-64.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.99 LAK 44.5K
$1.02 ₺51.2
95.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 LAK 26.0K
$1.00 ₺50.0
16.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 LAK 22.5K
$2.20 ₺110
-54.09%
Eggs
$1.91 LAK 42.9K
$2.21 ₺111
-13.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.05 LAK 516.4K
$9.72 ₺485
137.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.31 LAK 141.3K
$4.86 ₺243
29.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.66 LAK 149.3K
$20.09 ₺1,003
-66.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.75 LAK 39.1K
$1.86 ₺92.6
-5.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.15 LAK 25.8K
$1.98 ₺99.1
-41.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 LAK 57.2K
$1.06 ₺53.2
140.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 LAK 35.0K
$1.36 ₺68.0
14.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.48 LAK 33.1K
$0.54 ₺26.91
174.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 LAK 23.5K
$0.45 ₺22.35
133.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 LAK 24.1K
$1.00 ₺49.70
7.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 LAK 11.7K
$0.69 ₺34.29
-24.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.74 LAK 39.0K
$2.26 ₺113
-23.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.16 LAK 227.6K
$11.91 ₺594
-14.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 LAK 26.0K
$2.24 ₺112
-48.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 LAK 38.9K
$2.85 ₺142
-38.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Laos
Turkey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.49 LAK 11.0K
$0.76 ₺38.08
-35.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.4 LAK 1.3M
$39.49 ₺1,972
47.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 LAK 26.9K
$1.42 ₺71.1
-15.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 LAK 21.9K
$0.84 ₺41.73
16.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 LAK 97.6K
$7.98 ₺398
-45.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 LAK 31.6K
$1.38 ₺69.0
2.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K LAK 647.6M
$41.6K ₺2.1M
-30.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.2K LAK 654.6M
$40.3K ₺2.0M
-27.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.5 LAK 1.9M
$75.0 ₺3,743
15.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.89 LAK 445.7K
$10.38 ₺518
91.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.01 LAK 246.7K
$15.56 ₺777
-29.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.9 LAK 1.2M
$55.2 ₺2,758
-0.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.77 LAK 174.2K
$21.01 ₺1,049
-63.02%
Cinema Ticket
$3.39 LAK 75.9K
$6.87 ₺343
-50.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$329 LAK 7.4M
$680 ₺34.0K
-51.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K LAK 240.6M
$15.9K ₺794.0K
-32.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.99 LAK 1.1M
$54.7 ₺2,729
-8.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0 LAK 1.4M
$42.98 ₺2,146
42.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 LAK 1.6M
$102 ₺5,084
-29.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.1 LAK 1.1M
$93.9 ₺4,686
-45.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Laos
Turkey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$789 LAK 17.7M
$614 ₺30.7K
28.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 LAK 11.0M
$441 ₺22.0K
11.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,521 LAK 34.1M
$1,011 ₺50.5K
50.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$937 LAK 21.0M
$703 ₺35.1K
33.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,533 LAK 56.8M
$1,710 ₺85.4K
48.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$900 LAK 20.2M
$1,115 ₺55.7K
-19.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Laos
Turkey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$491 LAK 11.0M
$1,061 ₺53.0K
-53.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.06
41.67
-75.86%

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

Last update for Laos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Turkey: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Laos
$490
Turkey
$441 10.1% $50
Groceries & Markets
Laos
$244
Turkey
$239 2% $4.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Laos
$117
Turkey
$101 14% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Laos
$105
Turkey
$132 25.3% $27
Eating Out
Laos
$69
Turkey
$182 163% $113
Getting Around
Laos
$66
Turkey
$48 27.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Laos
$62
Turkey
$69 11.9% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $874 in Laos, $446 in Turkey. Capital cities: $642 in Vientiane vs $765 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $234 in Laos, $1,034 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Laos.

Dining out costs 89% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 61% more expensive in Laos.

Salaries are about 4.4 times higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.

Good to know
🇱🇦 Laos
🇹🇷 Turkey
🕒 Local time
01:11 1:11 AM
21:11 9:11 PM
4 h behind Laos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,858,160
85,372,377
💱 Currency
Lao Kip LAK ₭
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, 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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 49.93 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Laos Turkey 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Laos
  • Turkey

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 Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Laos or Turkey?
At $1,154 per month in Laos and $1,212 in Turkey, Laos comes out about 5% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Laos is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
How do I choose between living in Laos and in Turkey?
It depends on what you’re after: Laos wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Laos vs other spots: cost of living compared

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