Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,400 in Vientiane versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Vientiane versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,077 in Vientiane versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Vientiane is roughly 12% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vientiane is 5% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 LAK 51.2K

$4.55 ฿153

-49.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 LAK 430.2K

$46.18 ฿1,550

-58.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 LAK 104.5K

$8.84 ฿297

-47.40%

Cappuccino

$1.62 LAK 36.4K

$3.06 ฿103

-47.06%

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

$0.55 LAK 12.4K

$0.73 ฿24.36

-24.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 LAK 7,789

$0.40 ฿13.37

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 LAK 26.4K

$2.43 ฿81.6

-51.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 LAK 39.4K

$3.78 ฿127

-53.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 LAK 44.4K

$2.26 ฿75.8

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 LAK 21.3K

$1.81 ฿60.8

-47.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 LAK 20.6K

$2.25 ฿75.7

-59.56%

Eggs

$1.77 LAK 39.9K

$2.25 ฿75.4

-21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.70 LAK 622.7K

$19.51 ฿655

41.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 LAK 149.1K

$3.65 ฿122

81.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.01 LAK 135.0K

$13.05 ฿438

-53.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 LAK 43.6K

$3.23 ฿109

-39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 LAK 25.6K

$1.62 ฿54.3

-29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 LAK 46.2K

$2.38 ฿80.0

-13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 LAK 29.5K

$2.03 ฿68.0

-35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 LAK 35.9K

$1.53 ฿51.5

4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 LAK 22.7K

$1.50 ฿50.4

-32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 LAK 13.9K

$0.98 ฿32.85

-36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 LAK 8,610

$0.52 ฿17.36

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 LAK 43.5K

$4.44 ฿149

-56.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 LAK 226.8K

$18.32 ฿615

-44.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 LAK 23.1K

$1.86 ฿62.6

-44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 LAK 38.9K

$2.68 ฿90.0

-35.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 LAK 9,953

$1.41 ฿47.37

-68.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.5 LAK 1.1M

$11.70 ฿393

331.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 LAK 43.7K

$3.11 ฿104

-37.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

$1.04 ฿35.00

8.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 LAK 105.1K

$14.11 ฿474

-66.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 LAK 30.6K

$1.31 ฿44.02

3.82%

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

$29.0K LAK 652.7M

$27.8K ฿933.8K

4.39%

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

$29.5K LAK 662.6M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-11.26%

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

$71.6 LAK 1.6M

$122 ฿4,110

-41.51%

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

$32.08 LAK 721.2K

$13.59 ฿456

136.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 LAK 261.5K

$18.70 ฿628

-37.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 LAK 1.1M

$60.5 ฿2,031

-15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 LAK 131.5K

$16.98 ฿570

-65.55%

Cinema Ticket

$2.48 LAK 55.8K

$9.07 ฿305

-72.66%

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

$340 LAK 7.6M

$706 ฿23.7K

-51.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,200 LAK 206.8M

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-41.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.26 LAK 635.3K

$58.6 ฿1,965

-51.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 LAK 1.6M

$35.36 ฿1,187

100.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 LAK 1.3M

$115 ฿3,876

-49.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.76 LAK 961.3K

$83.7 ฿2,811

-48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 LAK 19.6M

$626 ฿21.0K

39.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 LAK 17.5M

$445 ฿14.9K

75.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LAK 21.2M

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 LAK 36.2M

$1,492 ฿50.1K

8.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 LAK 53.0M

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-32.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,118 LAK 25.1M

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-56.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 LAK 6.0M

$500 ฿16.8K

-46.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.33

89.87%

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

Last update for Vientiane: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Vientiane and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Vientiane vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $289 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

Vientiane vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Phuket. 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: $873 in Vientiane versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $340 in Vientiane versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vientiane pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,400 in Vientiane, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vientiane. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vientiane, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vientiane and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Vientiane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.