Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,076 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,076

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vientiane and in Phuket

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 Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Vientiane versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Vientiane $1,076
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,617 in Vientiane versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Vientiane $1,617
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,158 in Vientiane versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Vientiane $2,158
Phuket $3,154

Living in Vientiane costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vientiane 21% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 LAK 61.4K

$4.47 ฿151

-38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.52 LAK 392.6K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-45.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 LAK 116.8K

$8.81 ฿297

-40.86%

Cappuccino

$1.80 LAK 40.4K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-36.40%

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

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

$0.87 ฿29.42

-21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 LAK 8,678

$0.49 ฿16.66

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 LAK 31.1K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

$3.68 ฿124

-50.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 LAK 45.5K

$1.66 ฿56.0

22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 LAK 26.2K

$1.46 ฿49.32

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.82 LAK 40.8K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-12.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.95 LAK 603.8K

$19.07 ฿643

41.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 LAK 135.7K

$3.30 ฿111

83.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.69 LAK 149.9K

$10.91 ฿368

-38.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 LAK 55.1K

$2.93 ฿98.9

-16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LAK 25.0K

$1.69 ฿57.0

-34.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 LAK 57.2K

$2.25 ฿75.8

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

$2.08 ฿70.1

-28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 LAK 31.8K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.4K

$1.38 ฿46.54

-23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

$1.07 ฿35.97

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 LAK 8,255

$0.52 ฿17.51

-28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 LAK 39.5K

$4.20 ฿142

-58.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 LAK 220.8K

$18.79 ฿634

-47.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-41.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 LAK 47.6K

$2.84 ฿95.9

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 LAK 9,395

$1.45 ฿49.00

-71.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.87 LAK 1.1M

$56.7 ฿1,912

-15.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 LAK 29.2K

$3.02 ฿102

-56.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

$1.02 ฿34.34

-15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 LAK 97.7K

$3.69 ฿125

18.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 LAK 33.8K

$1.47 ฿49.78

2.72%

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

$28.1K LAK 629.6M

$26.8K ฿903.7K

4.93%

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

$29.0K LAK 650.1M

$26.7K ฿900.8K

8.70%

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

$89.5 LAK 2.0M

$96.4 ฿3,252

-7.12%

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

$32.56 LAK 729.7K

$11.26 ฿380

189.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 LAK 271.9K

$16.85 ฿569

-28.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.31 LAK 1.1M

$67.2 ฿2,269

-28.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 LAK 174.2K

$10.73 ฿362

-27.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.19 LAK 94.0K

$7.50 ฿253

-44.13%

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

$619 LAK 13.9M

$476 ฿16.1K

30.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K LAK 247.6M

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-1.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.27 LAK 588.7K

$62.4 ฿2,105

-57.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 LAK 1.5M

$28.41 ฿959

139.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.5 LAK 1.3M

$94.3 ฿3,182

-39.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.73 LAK 935.0K

$85.8 ฿2,896

-51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 LAK 14.4M

$716 ฿24.2K

-10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 LAK 9.3M

$491 ฿16.6K

-15.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 LAK 27.5M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 LAK 16.8M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-47.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,326 LAK 52.1M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-44.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,113 LAK 24.9M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-63.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 LAK 6.0M

$502 ฿17.0K

-46.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Vientiane: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vientiane

$416 38.6%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 18% $75

Groceries & Markets

Vientiane

$253 23.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 5.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vientiane

$134 12.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 7.2% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Vientiane

$87 8.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40.1% $35

Eating Out

Vientiane

$74 6.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 64.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Vientiane

$57 5.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 45% $26

Getting Around

Vientiane

$55 5.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 28% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Vientiane and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 86% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Vientiane vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $266 per month, with Vientiane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Vientiane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

783,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇦 Lao Kip (₭)

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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vientiane Phuket 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Vientiane
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vientiane is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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: $642 in Vientiane versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $619 in Vientiane versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. 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, Vientiane and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Vientiane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.