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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,082 in Vientiane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,640 in Vientiane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,197 in Vientiane.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than in Vientiane, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Vientiane is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$2.47 LAK 55.1K

39.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$17.82 LAK 397.1K

103.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.44 LAK 121.3K

4.96%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.68 LAK 37.4K

58.93%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.75 LAK 16.6K

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.36 LAK 7,920

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.39 LAK 31.0K

112.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.84 LAK 41.0K

145.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$2.06 LAK 46.0K

-21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.17 LAK 26.1K

99.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.05 LAK 23.3K

5.71%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.90 LAK 42.3K

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$27.58 LAK 614.8K

-35.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$6.29 LAK 140.1K

-34.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$6.78 LAK 151.1K

79.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.36 LAK 52.5K

57.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.11 LAK 24.8K

43.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.56 LAK 57.0K

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.57 LAK 35.0K

24.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.45 LAK 32.2K

31.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

119.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

80.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.36 LAK 8,070

52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$1.81 LAK 40.3K

23.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$10.01 LAK 223.2K

130.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.04 LAK 23.1K

132.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.12 LAK 47.3K

41.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.43 LAK 9,603

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$47.80 LAK 1.1M

-81.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.33 LAK 29.6K

-63.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.88 LAK 19.6K

-51.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$4.38 LAK 97.7K

28.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.38 LAK 30.8K

-42.03%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$28.5K LAK 635.8M

-12.55%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$28.6K LAK 638.3M

10.73%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$90.8 LAK 2.0M

-10.31%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$33.08 LAK 737.2K

-80.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$12.21 LAK 272.1K

53.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$46.83 LAK 1.0M

21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$7.83 LAK 174.6K

139.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$4.15 LAK 92.5K

9.40%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$616 LAK 13.7M

-22.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$11.0K LAK 244.6M

-47.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$27.35 LAK 609.6K

66.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$66.2 LAK 1.5M

-45.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$55.8 LAK 1.2M

44.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$41.57 LAK 926.6K

89.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$657 LAK 14.6M

69.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$412 LAK 9.2M

69.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$1,229 LAK 27.4M

195.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$761 LAK 17.0M

128.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,284 LAK 50.9M

21.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,141 LAK 25.4M

100.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$270 LAK 6.0M

-37.82%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Vientiane: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $657 in Vientiane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vientiane pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Vientiane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $258 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 26% 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 61% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $657 in Vientiane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $616 in Vientiane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,082 in Vientiane versus $1,368 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 $1,082 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 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.