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: $1,082 in Vientiane versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Vientiane versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,197 in Vientiane versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Vientiane costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vientiane 21% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 LAK 55.1K

$4.41 ฿147

-43.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.82 LAK 397.1K

$32.26 ฿1,077

-44.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 LAK 121.3K

$8.93 ฿298

-39.08%

Cappuccino

$1.68 LAK 37.4K

$2.90 ฿96.6

-42.07%

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

$0.75 LAK 16.6K

$0.88 ฿29.38

-14.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 7,920

$0.48 ฿16.06

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 LAK 31.0K

$2.35 ฿78.5

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 LAK 41.0K

$3.72 ฿124

-50.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 LAK 46.0K

$1.87 ฿62.3

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 LAK 26.1K

$1.47 ฿48.94

-20.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.3K

$1.55 ฿51.8

-32.26%

Eggs

$1.90 LAK 42.3K

$2.10 ฿70.1

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.58 LAK 614.8K

$19.59 ฿654

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 LAK 140.1K

$3.42 ฿114

83.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 LAK 151.1K

$11.38 ฿380

-40.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 LAK 52.5K

$2.98 ฿99.6

-20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LAK 24.8K

$1.68 ฿56.2

-33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 LAK 57.0K

$2.21 ฿73.7

15.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 LAK 35.0K

$2.16 ฿72.1

-27.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 LAK 32.2K

$1.52 ฿50.9

-4.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

$1.34 ฿44.67

-20.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

$1.13 ฿37.67

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 8,070

$0.55 ฿18.24

-34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.81 LAK 40.3K

$4.26 ฿142

-57.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 LAK 223.2K

$19.09 ฿637

-47.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 LAK 23.1K

$1.78 ฿59.4

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 LAK 47.3K

$2.78 ฿92.9

-23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 LAK 9,603

$2.23 ฿74.4

-80.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.80 LAK 1.1M

$22.74 ฿759

110.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 LAK 29.6K

$3.03 ฿101

-56.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 LAK 19.6K

$1.02 ฿34.15

-13.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 LAK 97.7K

$3.89 ฿130

12.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LAK 30.8K

$1.49 ฿49.77

-7.38%

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

$28.5K LAK 635.8M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

7.31%

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

$28.6K LAK 638.3M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

5.95%

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

$90.8 LAK 2.0M

$102 ฿3,420

-11.37%

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

$33.08 LAK 737.2K

$11.33 ฿378

191.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.21 LAK 272.1K

$17.40 ฿581

-29.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 LAK 1.0M

$52.1 ฿1,738

-10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.83 LAK 174.6K

$11.07 ฿370

-29.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 LAK 92.5K

$7.69 ฿257

-46.03%

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

$616 LAK 13.7M

$561 ฿18.7K

9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K LAK 244.6M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-4.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.35 LAK 609.6K

$63.0 ฿2,104

-56.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 LAK 1.5M

$29.52 ฿986

124.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.8 LAK 1.2M

$98.0 ฿3,272

-43.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.57 LAK 926.6K

$88.5 ฿2,954

-53.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 LAK 14.6M

$738 ฿24.6K

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 LAK 9.2M

$482 ฿16.1K

-14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 LAK 27.4M

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-41.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 LAK 17.0M

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-37.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 LAK 50.9M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-36.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,141 LAK 25.4M

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-56.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$270 LAK 6.0M

$494 ฿16.5K

-45.26%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Vientiane and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 83% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Vientiane vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $274 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

Vientiane is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $657 in Vientiane versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Vientiane versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,082 in Vientiane versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vientiane but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vientiane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vientiane is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, 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 Vientiane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.