Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smolensk and Vientiane

For one person, living costs are similar in Smolensk and in Vientiane: $1,090 and $1,076 a month, rent and utilities included.

53

Cost of Living Index in Smolensk
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Smolensk Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index

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Smolensk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,090

/mo nomad

Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Smolensk 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 Smolensk and in Vientiane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,090 per month in Smolensk vs $1,076 in Vientiane, rent included.

Smolensk $1,090
Vientiane $1,076

A couple spends around $1,727 per month in Smolensk vs $1,617 in Vientiane, rent included.

Smolensk $1,727
Vientiane $1,617

A family of three spends $2,364 per month in Smolensk vs $2,158 in Vientiane, rent included.

Smolensk $2,364
Vientiane $2,158

Smolensk and Vientiane have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Smolensk and Vientiane are more affordable than the global median – Smolensk 20% lower, Vientiane 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.07 ₽811

$2.74 LAK 61.4K

267.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.94 ₽3,136

$17.52 LAK 392.6K

122.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 ₽583

$5.21 LAK 116.8K

38.96%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₽200

$1.80 LAK 40.4K

38.33%

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

$1.08 ₽86.8

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₽54.1

$0.39 LAK 8,678

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₽163

$1.39 LAK 31.1K

45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ₽255

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

72.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₽93.1

$2.03 LAK 45.5K

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₽60.0

$1.17 LAK 26.2K

-36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ₽112

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

39.00%

Eggs

$1.57 ₽126

$1.82 LAK 40.8K

-13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 ₽933

$26.95 LAK 603.8K

-57.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 ₽445

$6.06 LAK 135.7K

-8.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 ₽945

$6.69 LAK 149.9K

75.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ₽141

$2.46 LAK 55.1K

-28.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ₽154

$1.11 LAK 25.0K

72.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₽145

$2.55 LAK 57.2K

-29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 ₽231

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

92.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽67.1

$1.42 LAK 31.8K

-41.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽47.98

$1.05 LAK 23.4K

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₽95.8

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₽60.2

$0.37 LAK 8,255

102.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₽247

$1.76 LAK 39.5K

74.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 ₽714

$9.85 LAK 220.8K

-10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₽93.7

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₽191

$2.13 LAK 47.6K

11.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽45.82

$0.42 LAK 9,395

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.18 ₽2,108

$47.87 LAK 1.1M

-45.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₽178

$1.30 LAK 29.2K

69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₽27.20

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

-60.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 ₽428

$4.36 LAK 97.7K

21.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽65.6

$1.51 LAK 33.8K

-45.70%

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

$51.3K ₽4.1M

$28.1K LAK 629.6M

82.65%

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

$35.2K ₽2.8M

$29.0K LAK 650.1M

21.28%

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

$123 ₽9,877

$89.5 LAK 2.0M

37.04%

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

$6.08 ₽490

$32.56 LAK 729.7K

-81.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.49 ₽684

$12.13 LAK 271.9K

-30.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 ₽2,947

$48.31 LAK 1.1M

-24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.48 ₽1,811

$7.77 LAK 174.2K

189.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 ₽574

$4.19 LAK 94.0K

70.17%

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

$348 ₽28.0K

$619 LAK 13.9M

-43.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,371 ₽593.6K

$11.1K LAK 247.6M

-33.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 ₽6,557

$26.27 LAK 588.7K

209.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.52 ₽3,988

$67.9 LAK 1.5M

-27.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ₽9,891

$57.5 LAK 1.3M

113.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 ₽8,012

$41.73 LAK 935.0K

138.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₽38.9K

$642 LAK 14.4M

-24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₽27.3K

$416 LAK 9.3M

-18.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₽79.8K

$1,227 LAK 27.5M

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ₽53.8K

$748 LAK 16.8M

-10.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,278 ₽183.5K

$2,326 LAK 52.1M

-2.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,650 ₽132.8K

$1,113 LAK 24.9M

48.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$777 ₽62.6K

$269 LAK 6.0M

188.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

114.50%

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

Last update for Smolensk: 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

Smolensk

$339 31.1%

Vientiane

$416 38.6% 22.8% $77

Groceries & Markets

Smolensk

$216 19.8%

Vientiane

$253 23.5% 17.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Smolensk

$159 14.6%

Vientiane

$87 8.1% 45.3% $72

Eating Out

Smolensk

$156 14.3%

Vientiane

$74 6.9% 52.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smolensk

$137 12.6%

Vientiane

$134 12.5% 2.2% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Smolensk

$51 4.7%

Vientiane

$57 5.3% 11.5% $5.9

Getting Around

Smolensk

$32 3%

Vientiane

$55 5.1% 70.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Smolensk versus $642 in Vientiane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Smolensk are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Smolensk versus $18 in Vientiane. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Smolensk vs $253 in Vientiane – so Smolensk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Smolensk

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

07:29 7:29 AM

4 h ahead of Smolensk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,495

783,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

Lao Kip exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,407 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD). 1 EUR = 25,019 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Smolensk Vientiane 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Smolensk
Vientiane

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Smolensk vs Vientiane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,634 per month in Smolensk and $1,615 in Vientiane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Smolensk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $642 in Vientiane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Smolensk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Smolensk and $619 in Vientiane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,090 in Smolensk and $1,076 in Vientiane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Smolensk has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,076 in Vientiane to $1,090 in Smolensk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Vientiane. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Smolensk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.