Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,068 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,068

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vientiane and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Vientiane versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Vientiane $1,068
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,615 in Vientiane versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Vientiane $1,615
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,161 in Vientiane versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Vientiane $2,161
Singapore $6,994

Living in Vientiane costs roughly 69% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vientiane is 20% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 LAK 58.6K

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-77.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 LAK 401.4K

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-74.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 LAK 121.6K

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-37.79%

Cappuccino

$1.75 LAK 39.0K

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-66.67%

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

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-62.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 7,932

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-71.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 LAK 29.6K

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-84.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 LAK 40.0K

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-82.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 LAK 46.0K

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-29.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 LAK 25.1K

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-54.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 LAK 23.2K

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-61.62%

Eggs

$1.85 LAK 41.3K

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-50.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.03 LAK 602.7K

$21.54 SGD 27.58

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 LAK 138.7K

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-34.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 LAK 150.9K

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-73.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 LAK 53.7K

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-46.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LAK 24.9K

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-63.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 LAK 58.1K

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 LAK 34.7K

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-30.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 LAK 31.9K

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-42.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-55.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 LAK 11.7K

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-70.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 8,089

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-76.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.81 LAK 40.5K

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-87.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 LAK 229.1K

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-56.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 LAK 23.6K

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-76.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LAK 45.4K

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-55.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 LAK 10.3K

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-70.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.94 LAK 1.1M

$96.4 SGD 123

-49.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 LAK 29.1K

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-64.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 LAK 20.1K

$0.80 SGD 1.02

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 LAK 99.8K

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-72.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 LAK 33.3K

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-40.64%

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

$28.6K LAK 638.5M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-81.63%

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

$29.5K LAK 658.9M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-79.73%

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

$90.6 LAK 2.0M

$175 SGD 224

-48.22%

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

$32.08 LAK 715.3K

$12.45 SGD 15.94

157.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.43 LAK 277.2K

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-53.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 LAK 1.1M

$112 SGD 143

-57.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.76 LAK 173.0K

$12.07 SGD 15.46

-35.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 LAK 93.6K

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-63.79%

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

$614 LAK 13.7M

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-58.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K LAK 247.3M

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-60.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.82 LAK 598.2K

$81.5 SGD 104

-67.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 LAK 1.5M

$50.6 SGD 64.8

32.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 LAK 1.3M

$112 SGD 143

-49.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.91 LAK 912.2K

$130 SGD 166

-68.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 LAK 14.2M

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-78.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 LAK 9.2M

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-80.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 LAK 27.3M

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-78.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 LAK 16.7M

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-81.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,303 LAK 51.3M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-90.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,132 LAK 25.2M

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-93.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 LAK 6.0M

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-93.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

309.84%

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

Last update for Vientiane: October 4, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vientiane

$415 38.5%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 413% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Vientiane

$256 23.8%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 78.9% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vientiane

$135 12.6%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 58.4% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Vientiane

$86 8%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 95% $82

Eating Out

Vientiane

$73 6.8%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 252% $183

Getting Around

Vientiane

$57 5.3%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 94.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Vientiane

$56 5.2%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 142% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $638 in Vientiane and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 1515% 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 $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $457 per month, with Vientiane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

1 h ahead of Vientiane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

783,000 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, 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).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vientiane Singapore 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vientiane
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vientiane is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 223% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1515% lower in Singapore. 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: $638 in Vientiane versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,068 per month in Vientiane versus $3,454 in Singapore – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Vientiane runs roughly 97% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,068 in Vientiane versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vientiane but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Vientiane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Singapore 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 223% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.