Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Vientiane

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,076 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,076 in Vientiane.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Vientiane $1,076

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,617 in Vientiane.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Vientiane $1,617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,158 in Vientiane.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Vientiane $2,158

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 25% more expensive than in Vientiane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$2.74 LAK 61.4K

21.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$17.52 LAK 392.6K

103.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$5.21 LAK 116.8K

6.14%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$1.80 LAK 40.4K

51.11%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.39 LAK 8,678

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$1.39 LAK 31.1K

90.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

139.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$2.03 LAK 45.5K

-26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.17 LAK 26.2K

94.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

19.00%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$1.82 LAK 40.8K

12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$26.95 LAK 603.8K

-34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$6.06 LAK 135.7K

-34.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$6.69 LAK 149.9K

82.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$2.46 LAK 55.1K

48.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.11 LAK 25.0K

36.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.55 LAK 57.2K

-12.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

32.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.42 LAK 31.8K

30.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.05 LAK 23.4K

130.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

76.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$0.37 LAK 8,255

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$1.76 LAK 39.5K

26.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$9.85 LAK 220.8K

125.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

111.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.13 LAK 47.6K

39.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$0.42 LAK 9,395

-40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$47.87 LAK 1.1M

-83.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$1.30 LAK 29.2K

-66.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$4.36 LAK 97.7K

24.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.51 LAK 33.8K

-45.70%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$28.1K LAK 629.6M

-15.15%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$29.0K LAK 650.1M

9.43%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$89.5 LAK 2.0M

-11.65%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$32.56 LAK 729.7K

-80.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$12.13 LAK 271.9K

53.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$48.31 LAK 1.1M

2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

$7.77 LAK 174.2K

127.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$4.19 LAK 94.0K

1.91%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$619 LAK 13.9M

-20.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$11.1K LAK 247.6M

-48.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$26.27 LAK 588.7K

69.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$67.9 LAK 1.5M

-48.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$57.5 LAK 1.3M

39.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$41.73 LAK 935.0K

90.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$642 LAK 14.4M

75.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$416 LAK 9.3M

61.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,227 LAK 27.5M

190.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$748 LAK 16.8M

130.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$2,326 LAK 52.1M

17.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$1,113 LAK 24.9M

105.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$269 LAK 6.0M

-39.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

37.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vientiane: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Vientiane

$416 38.6% 38.1% $256

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Vientiane

$253 23.5% 12.2% $35

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Vientiane

$74 6.9% 31.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Vientiane

$87 8.1% 19.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Vientiane

$134 12.5% 28.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Vientiane

$57 5.3% 2.3% $1.3

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Vientiane

$55 5.1% 383% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $642 in Vientiane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vientiane pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $18 in Vientiane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $253 per month, with Vientiane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

783,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Vientiane 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
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

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

Vientiane wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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 39% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $642 in Vientiane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $619 in Vientiane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Vientiane gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Ubud, Bali and Vientiane are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.