Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Luang Prabang and Vientiane

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,076 a month against $1,393 in Luang Prabang, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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 Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index

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Luang Prabang

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,393

/mo nomad

Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Luang Prabang and in Vientiane

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Luang Prabang versus $1,076 in Vientiane.

Luang Prabang $1,393
Vientiane $1,076

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,121 in Luang Prabang versus $1,617 in Vientiane.

Luang Prabang $2,121
Vientiane $1,617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,849 in Luang Prabang versus $2,158 in Vientiane.

Luang Prabang $2,849
Vientiane $2,158

Living in Luang Prabang is roughly 29% more expensive than in Vientiane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Luang Prabang is 2% above, Vientiane is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.77 LAK 39.7K

$2.74 LAK 61.4K

-35.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.60 LAK 371.9K

$17.52 LAK 392.6K

-5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 LAK 118.6K

$5.21 LAK 116.8K

1.54%

Cappuccino

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

$1.80 LAK 40.4K

-17.22%

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

$0.82 LAK 18.5K

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LAK 11.7K

$0.39 LAK 8,678

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 LAK 27.9K

$1.39 LAK 31.1K

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

-38.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LAK 36.6K

$2.03 LAK 45.5K

-19.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 LAK 26.2K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

Eggs

$1.82 LAK 40.8K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.14 LAK 541.0K

$26.95 LAK 603.8K

-10.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 LAK 135.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.69 LAK 149.9K

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 LAK 29.9K

$2.46 LAK 55.1K

-45.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LAK 25.0K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 LAK 57.2K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 LAK 31.8K

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.4K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 LAK 23.7K

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

89.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LAK 15.9K

$0.37 LAK 8,255

91.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 LAK 39.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 LAK 220.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 LAK 26.7K

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LAK 14.8K

$2.13 LAK 47.6K

-69.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 LAK 13.3K

$0.42 LAK 9,395

40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 LAK 1.3M

$47.87 LAK 1.1M

19.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

$1.30 LAK 29.2K

-33.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

31.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 LAK 101.4K

$4.36 LAK 97.7K

3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 LAK 26.4K

$1.51 LAK 33.8K

-21.85%

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

$27.5K LAK 616.6M

$28.1K LAK 629.6M

-2.06%

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

$28.1K LAK 629.9M

$29.0K LAK 650.1M

-3.10%

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

$80.6 LAK 1.8M

$89.5 LAK 2.0M

-9.89%

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

$5.36 LAK 120.1K

$32.56 LAK 729.7K

-83.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.71 LAK 150.4K

$12.13 LAK 271.9K

-44.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.6 LAK 1.9M

$48.31 LAK 1.1M

70.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 LAK 164.2K

$7.77 LAK 174.2K

-5.66%

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 LAK 55.0K

$4.19 LAK 94.0K

-41.29%

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

$249 LAK 5.6M

$619 LAK 13.9M

-59.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,778 LAK 196.7M

$11.1K LAK 247.6M

-20.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 LAK 1.5M

$26.27 LAK 588.7K

161.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 LAK 1.3M

$67.9 LAK 1.5M

-13.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 LAK 1.6M

$57.5 LAK 1.3M

25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 LAK 1.1M

$41.73 LAK 935.0K

19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 LAK 24.8M

$642 LAK 14.4M

72.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 LAK 19.2M

$416 LAK 9.3M

106.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 LAK 43.0M

$1,227 LAK 27.5M

56.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 LAK 38.7M

$748 LAK 16.8M

130.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,539 LAK 56.9M

$2,326 LAK 52.1M

9.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$168 LAK 3.8M

$1,113 LAK 24.9M

-84.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$199 LAK 4.5M

$269 LAK 6.0M

-26.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

1.20%

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

Last update for Luang Prabang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vientiane: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$416 38.6%

Groceries & Markets

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$253 23.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$134 12.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$87 8.1%

Eating Out

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$74 6.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$57 5.3%

Getting Around

Luang Prabang

–

Vientiane

$55 5.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Luang Prabang and $642 in Vientiane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vientiane pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17 in Luang Prabang vs $18 in Vientiane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $253 per month, with Luang Prabang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Luang Prabang

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

Same time as Luang Prabang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,792

783,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Luang Prabang Vientiane 220 km

From you

Luang Prabang
Vientiane

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 Vientiane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vientiane wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Luang Prabang. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Vientiane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Luang Prabang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,107 in Luang Prabang versus $642 in Vientiane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Vientiane runs roughly 17% less than in Luang Prabang. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $249 in Luang Prabang versus $619 in Vientiane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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