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: $1,424 in Vientiane versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,245 in Vientiane versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,066 in Vientiane versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Vientiane is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 LAK 49.6K

$4.70 ฿153

-51.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.58 LAK 427.4K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-56.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 LAK 97.5K

$8.43 ฿275

-46.98%

Cappuccino

$1.63 LAK 35.6K

$2.93 ฿95.6

-44.37%

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

$0.52 LAK 11.3K

$0.69 ฿22.40

-24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LAK 8,126

$0.37 ฿11.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 LAK 25.9K

$2.41 ฿78.6

-51.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 LAK 37.2K

$3.72 ฿122

-54.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 LAK 43.0K

$2.23 ฿72.9

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 LAK 19.8K

$1.83 ฿59.8

-50.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 LAK 20.1K

$2.17 ฿70.8

-57.60%

Eggs

$1.77 LAK 38.7K

$2.21 ฿72.3

-19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.42 LAK 620.4K

$19.74 ฿645

43.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 LAK 145.7K

$3.63 ฿119

84.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 LAK 136.7K

$13.53 ฿442

-53.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 LAK 43.5K

$3.28 ฿107

-39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 LAK 23.8K

$1.61 ฿52.6

-32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 LAK 44.2K

$2.41 ฿78.6

-16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 LAK 29.9K

$2.08 ฿68.1

-34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 LAK 36.6K

$1.53 ฿49.93

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 LAK 22.7K

$1.48 ฿48.36

-29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 LAK 13.4K

$0.99 ฿32.29

-38.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LAK 8,424

$0.51 ฿16.67

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 LAK 43.6K

$4.41 ฿144

-54.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 LAK 218.2K

$19.38 ฿633

-48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 LAK 21.5K

$1.78 ฿58.1

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 LAK 37.4K

$2.71 ฿88.6

-36.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 LAK 9,696

$1.37 ฿44.79

-67.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 LAK 1.1M

$11.39 ฿372

339.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 LAK 43.0K

$3.02 ฿98.6

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 LAK 26.0K

$0.99 ฿32.48

20.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 LAK 102.3K

$14.10 ฿461

-66.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 LAK 31.0K

$1.36 ฿44.51

4.41%

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

$28.6K LAK 624.7M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

1.47%

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

$30.2K LAK 658.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-8.34%

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

$73.8 LAK 1.6M

$122 ฿3,975

-39.36%

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

$32.14 LAK 701.6K

$13.57 ฿443

136.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 LAK 249.6K

$18.31 ฿598

-37.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 LAK 1.1M

$60.2 ฿1,967

-15.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 LAK 127.7K

$17.14 ฿560

-65.87%

Cinema Ticket

$2.45 LAK 53.4K

$8.69 ฿284

-71.81%

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

$336 LAK 7.3M

$693 ฿22.6K

-51.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,402 LAK 205.2M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.33 LAK 618.4K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-52.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 LAK 1.5M

$34.77 ฿1,136

98.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 LAK 1.3M

$115 ฿3,743

-48.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.02 LAK 939.0K

$83.3 ฿2,720

-48.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 LAK 18.7M

$613 ฿20.0K

40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 LAK 17.0M

$437 ฿14.3K

77.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 LAK 20.4M

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 LAK 35.8M

$1,509 ฿49.3K

8.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,357 LAK 51.4M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-37.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 LAK 24.5M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-57.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 LAK 5.9M

$508 ฿16.6K

-47.11%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $859 in Vientiane and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Vientiane vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $293 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 89% less. 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: $859 in Vientiane versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Vientiane versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vientiane pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,424 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 13% less than in Vientiane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.