Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,068 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,068

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vientiane and in Bali

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

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Vientiane vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

Vientiane $1,068
Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $1,615 per month in Vientiane vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

Vientiane $1,615
Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $2,161 per month in Vientiane vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

Vientiane $2,161
Bali $2,904

Vientiane is about 13% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vientiane and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Vientiane 20% lower, Bali 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 LAK 58.6K

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

-4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 LAK 401.4K

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

-39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 LAK 121.6K

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

14.98%

Cappuccino

$1.75 LAK 39.0K

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

-21.17%

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

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 7,932

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 LAK 29.6K

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

-39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 LAK 40.0K

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

-50.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 LAK 46.0K

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

43.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 LAK 25.1K

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-47.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 LAK 23.2K

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

-7.14%

Eggs

$1.85 LAK 41.3K

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

-6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.03 LAK 602.7K

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

64.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 LAK 138.7K

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

71.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 LAK 150.9K

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

-41.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 LAK 53.7K

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

-28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LAK 24.9K

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

-23.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 LAK 58.1K

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 LAK 34.7K

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

-17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 LAK 31.9K

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

-52.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 LAK 11.7K

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

-43.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 8,089

$0.48 Rp 8,577

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.81 LAK 40.5K

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

-15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 LAK 229.1K

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

-53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

-53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LAK 45.4K

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

-26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 LAK 10.3K

$0.26 Rp 4,661

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.94 LAK 1.1M

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

505.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 LAK 29.1K

$0.44 Rp 7,853

195.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 LAK 20.1K

$0.42 Rp 7,491

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 LAK 99.8K

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

-20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 LAK 33.3K

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

65.56%

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

$28.6K LAK 638.5M

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

18.09%

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

$29.5K LAK 658.9M

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

-6.21%

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

$90.6 LAK 2.0M

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

13.22%

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

$32.08 LAK 715.3K

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

383.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.43 LAK 277.2K

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

-32.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 LAK 1.1M

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.76 LAK 173.0K

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

-49.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 LAK 93.6K

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

13.21%

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

$614 LAK 13.7M

$442 Rp 7.9M

38.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K LAK 247.3M

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

111.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.82 LAK 598.2K

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

-39.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 LAK 1.5M

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

96.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 LAK 1.3M

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

-26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.91 LAK 912.2K

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

-45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 LAK 14.2M

$994 Rp 17.8M

-35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 LAK 9.2M

$588 Rp 10.5M

-29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 LAK 27.3M

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

-60.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 LAK 16.7M

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

-49.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,303 LAK 51.3M

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

-3.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,132 LAK 25.2M

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

-43.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 LAK 6.0M

$223 Rp 4.0M

21.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-27.43%

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

Last update for Vientiane: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vientiane

$415 38.5%

Bali

$588 48% 41.9% $174

Groceries & Markets

Vientiane

$256 23.8%

Bali

$274 22.4% 7.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vientiane

$135 12.6%

Bali

$105 8.6% 22.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Vientiane

$86 8%

Bali

$104 8.5% 20.4% $18

Eating Out

Vientiane

$73 6.8%

Bali

$89 7.3% 22.6% $16

Getting Around

Vientiane

$57 5.3%

Bali

$12 1% 79.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Vientiane

$56 5.2%

Bali

$53 4.3% 4.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Vientiane versus $994 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Vientiane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Vientiane versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $274 – making Vientiane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

1 h ahead of Vientiane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

783,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇦 Lao Kip (₭)

Lao Kip exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,300 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD). 1 EUR = 25,011 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Vientiane
Bali

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

Vientiane vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 15% more than Vientiane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,602 per month in Vientiane and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vientiane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Vientiane and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,068 in Vientiane and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Vientiane, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Bali at $1,224. In Vientiane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vientiane costs $1,068 versus $1,224 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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