Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Luang Prabang and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,393 in Luang Prabang, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Luang Prabang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Luang Prabang

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,393

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Luang Prabang and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Luang Prabang and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Luang Prabang versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Luang Prabang $1,393
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,121 in Luang Prabang versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Luang Prabang $2,121
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,849 in Luang Prabang versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Luang Prabang $2,849
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Luang Prabang is roughly 3% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.77 LAK 39.7K

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

-46.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.60 LAK 371.9K

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

-53.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 LAK 118.6K

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

-4.34%

Cappuccino

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

-45.22%

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

$0.82 LAK 18.5K

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

-51.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LAK 11.7K

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 LAK 27.9K

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

-52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

-74.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LAK 36.6K

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.14 LAK 541.0K

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

36.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 LAK 29.9K

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

-63.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 LAK 23.7K

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LAK 15.9K

$0.51 Rp 9,303

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 LAK 26.7K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-47.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LAK 14.8K

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-77.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 LAK 13.3K

$0.25 Rp 4,548

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 LAK 1.3M

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

634.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

$0.44 Rp 7,964

95.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

$0.43 Rp 7,793

162.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 LAK 101.4K

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

-16.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 LAK 26.4K

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

43.90%

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

$27.5K LAK 616.6M

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

15.42%

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

$28.1K LAK 629.9M

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-11.45%

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

$80.6 LAK 1.8M

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

2.00%

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

$5.36 LAK 120.1K

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

-16.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.71 LAK 150.4K

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

-63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.6 LAK 1.9M

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

66.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 LAK 164.2K

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

-58.47%

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 LAK 55.0K

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

-42.39%

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

$249 LAK 5.6M

$491 Rp 8.9M

-49.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,778 LAK 196.7M

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

54.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 LAK 1.5M

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

53.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 LAK 1.3M

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

68.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 LAK 1.6M

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 LAK 1.1M

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 LAK 24.8M

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 LAK 19.2M

$671 Rp 12.2M

27.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 LAK 43.0M

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

-46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 LAK 38.7M

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

0.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,539 LAK 56.9M

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-7.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$168 LAK 3.8M

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-92.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$199 LAK 4.5M

$164 Rp 3.0M

21.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

13.78

-26.56%

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

Last update for Luang Prabang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Groceries & Markets

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Eating Out

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Clothing & Footwear

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Getting Around

Luang Prabang

–

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Luang Prabang and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luang Prabang pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Luang Prabang vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $288 per month, with Luang Prabang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Luang Prabang

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

1 h ahead of Luang Prabang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,792

74,800

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇦 Lao Kip (₭)

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Luang Prabang Ubud, Bali 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Luang Prabang
Ubud, Bali

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

Luang Prabang vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Luang Prabang. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Luang Prabang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,107 in Luang Prabang versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 86% less than in Luang Prabang. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $249 in Luang Prabang versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Luang Prabang and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Luang Prabang on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.