Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Laos

For one person, living is cheaper in Laos: $1,154 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Spain
Laos
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
🇱🇦 Laos
$1,154
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in Laos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $1,154 in Laos.

  • Spain $1,775
  • Laos $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $1,755 in Laos.

  • Spain $2,606
  • Laos $1,755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $2,356 in Laos.

  • Spain $3,438
  • Laos $2,356

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $931 to $2,610, compared to $1,076–$1,393 in Laos. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Living in Spain is roughly 54% more expensive than in Laos on average.

Spain (30% above) and Laos (15% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Laos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.89
$2.27 LAK 50.9K
635.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7 €49.69
$17.46 LAK 391.3K
219.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 €10.14
$5.18 LAK 116.1K
119.50%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.16
$1.77 LAK 39.5K
36.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.39
$0.76 LAK 17.1K
252.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.60
$0.40 LAK 8,996
347.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.06
$1.25 LAK 28.0K
173.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.46
$1.74 LAK 39.1K
122.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Laos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.99 LAK 44.5K
-39.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.16 LAK 26.0K
27.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.49
$1.01 LAK 22.5K
65.35%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.05
$1.91 LAK 42.9K
79.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 €12.64
$23.05 LAK 516.4K
-38.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 €7.43
$6.31 LAK 141.3K
32.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 €14.46
$6.66 LAK 149.3K
143.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.75 LAK 39.1K
40.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.15 LAK 25.8K
76.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.55 LAK 57.2K
-18.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.30
$1.56 LAK 35.0K
65.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.48 LAK 33.1K
23.65%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.05 LAK 23.5K
90.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.07 LAK 24.1K
22.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.52 LAK 11.7K
48.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36 €5.68
$1.74 LAK 39.0K
265.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.03
$10.16 LAK 227.6K
-44.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.16 LAK 26.0K
12.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.74 LAK 38.9K
20.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Laos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.47
$0.49 LAK 11.0K
234.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.91 €29.36
$58.4 LAK 1.3M
-43.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.95
$1.20 LAK 26.9K
269.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 €1.31
$0.98 LAK 21.9K
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.98 €22.29
$4.36 LAK 97.6K
472.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.41 LAK 31.6K
25.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.7K
$28.9K LAK 647.6M
22.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K €27.3K
$29.2K LAK 654.6M
4.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Laos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €133
$86.5 LAK 1.9M
72.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67 €15.77
$19.89 LAK 445.7K
-11.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88 €28.44
$11.01 LAK 246.7K
189.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Laos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.47
$54.9 LAK 1.2M
-19.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29 €13.64
$7.77 LAK 174.2K
96.78%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66 €8.62
$3.39 LAK 75.9K
184.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Laos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 €486
$329 LAK 7.4M
65.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K €9,463
$10.7K LAK 240.6M
-1.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Laos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9 €75.8
$49.99 LAK 1.1M
69.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11 €33.11
$61.0 LAK 1.4M
-39.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 €79.6
$71.9 LAK 1.6M
24.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.3
$51.1 LAK 1.1M
107.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Laos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 €943
$789 LAK 17.7M
33.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 €721
$490 LAK 11.0M
64.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 €1,446
$1,521 LAK 34.1M
6.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,246 €1,112
$937 LAK 21.0M
32.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,135 €3,690
$2,533 LAK 56.8M
63.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,633 €2,349
$900 LAK 20.2M
192.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Laos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,999 €1,784
$491 LAK 11.0M
307.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
10.06
-67.20%

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

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Last update for Laos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808
Laos
$490 39.3% $318
Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272
Laos
$244 10.1% $27
Eating Out
Spain
$239
Laos
$69 71.1% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199
Laos
$117 41% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143
Laos
$105 26.2% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64
Laos
$62 3% $1.9
Getting Around
Spain
$51
Laos
$66 29.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $874 in Laos. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $642 in Vientiane.

National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $234 in Laos. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 217% more in Spain.

Public transport is 71% more expensive in Laos.

Salaries are about 8.4 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Spain
🇱🇦 Laos
🕒 Local time
14:48 2:48 PM
20:48 8:48 PM
6 h ahead of Spain
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,415,750
6,858,160
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Lao Kip LAK ₭
Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Lao Kip exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,407 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD). 1 EUR = 25,005 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spain Laos 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Spain
  • Laos

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
Spain vs Laos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Laos or Spain?
At $1,154 per month in Laos and $1,775 in Spain, Laos comes out about 35% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between Laos and Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $920 in Spain and $874 in Laos. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in Laos compared to Spain?
In Laos, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Laos and in Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Laos wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Spain vs other spots: cost of living compared

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