Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Vientiane Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Vientiane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,400 in Vientiane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,238 in Vientiane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,077 in Vientiane.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 1% more expensive than in Vientiane, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Vientiane 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$2.28 LAK 51.2K

51.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

$19.14 LAK 430.2K

68.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$4.65 LAK 104.5K

4.09%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

$1.62 LAK 36.4K

69.75%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.55 LAK 12.4K

150.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$0.35 LAK 7,789

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

$1.18 LAK 26.4K

153.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$1.75 LAK 39.4K

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.98 LAK 44.4K

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$0.95 LAK 21.3K

158.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$0.91 LAK 20.6K

28.57%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$1.77 LAK 39.9K

37.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

$27.70 LAK 622.7K

-47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

$6.63 LAK 149.1K

-34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

$6.01 LAK 135.0K

99.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

$1.94 LAK 43.6K

91.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.14 LAK 25.6K

42.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$2.05 LAK 46.2K

33.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$1.31 LAK 29.5K

70.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$1.60 LAK 35.9K

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$1.01 LAK 22.7K

125.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$0.62 LAK 13.9K

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.38 LAK 8,610

89.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$1.94 LAK 43.5K

69.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

$10.09 LAK 226.8K

129.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

$1.03 LAK 23.1K

169.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

$1.73 LAK 38.9K

57.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,765

$0.44 LAK 9,953

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

$50.5 LAK 1.1M

-83.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,636

$1.94 LAK 43.7K

-75.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,511

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

-62.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

$4.68 LAK 105.1K

32.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.36 LAK 30.6K

-40.44%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

$29.0K LAK 652.7M

-8.36%

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

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

$29.5K LAK 662.6M

9.21%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$71.6 LAK 1.6M

9.40%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$32.08 LAK 721.2K

-87.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

$11.63 LAK 261.5K

109.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$51.1 LAK 1.1M

92.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

$5.85 LAK 131.5K

8.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

$2.48 LAK 55.8K

60.89%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$340 LAK 7.6M

-10.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

$9,200 LAK 206.8M

-27.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

$28.26 LAK 635.3K

91.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

$70.7 LAK 1.6M

-46.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$58.0 LAK 1.3M

49.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$42.76 LAK 961.3K

78.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.7M

$873 LAK 19.6M

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$779 LAK 17.5M

-13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$944 LAK 21.2M

257.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$1,612 LAK 36.2M

27.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$2,360 LAK 53.0M

18.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

$1,118 LAK 25.1M

99.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$267 LAK 6.0M

-37.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.12

31.23%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Vientiane: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $873 in Vientiane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vientiane pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Vientiane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $248 per month, with Vientiane cheaper across the board.

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

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

Vientiane wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ubud, Bali. 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 60% lower in Vientiane. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $873 in Vientiane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $340 in Vientiane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,400 in Vientiane versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vientiane but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Vientiane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vientiane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,400 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vientiane hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Vientiane are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vientiane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.