Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Smolensk

For one person, living costs are similar in Vientiane and in Smolensk: $1,073 and $1,068 a month, rent and utilities included.

52

Cost of Living Index in Vientiane
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Vientiane Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Smolensk
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Smolensk Living Index

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Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,073

/mo nomad

Smolensk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vientiane and in Smolensk

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

A single person spends $1,073 per month in Vientiane vs $1,068 in Smolensk, rent included.

Vientiane $1,073
Smolensk $1,068

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Vientiane vs $1,602 in Smolensk, rent included.

Vientiane $1,626
Smolensk $1,602

A family of three spends $2,179 per month in Vientiane vs $2,137 in Smolensk, rent included.

Vientiane $2,179
Smolensk $2,137

Vientiane and Smolensk have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Vientiane and Smolensk are more affordable than the global median – Vientiane 21% lower, Smolensk 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 LAK 60.1K

$10.38 ₽867

-74.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.96 LAK 402.2K

$32.07 ₽2,677

-44.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 LAK 118.9K

$6.92 ₽577

-23.27%

Cappuccino

$1.80 LAK 40.3K

$2.53 ₽211

-28.85%

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

$0.69 LAK 15.4K

$0.95 ₽79.6

-27.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LAK 8,037

$0.55 ₽46.12

-34.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 LAK 31.2K

$1.74 ₽145

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 LAK 40.8K

$2.97 ₽248

-38.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 LAK 45.5K

$1.15 ₽96.0

76.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 LAK 26.0K

$0.76 ₽63.3

52.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 LAK 22.2K

$1.36 ₽114

-27.21%

Eggs

$1.88 LAK 42.1K

$1.53 ₽128

22.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.60 LAK 595.6K

$11.28 ₽942

135.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 LAK 139.3K

$5.13 ₽428

21.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.96 LAK 155.9K

$11.03 ₽921

-36.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 LAK 52.4K

$1.78 ₽149

31.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LAK 25.1K

$1.84 ₽154

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 LAK 57.5K

$1.75 ₽146

46.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 LAK 33.6K

$2.72 ₽227

-44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 LAK 33.0K

$0.82 ₽68.3

80.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.5K

$0.56 ₽46.80

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 LAK 11.9K

$1.30 ₽108

-59.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 LAK 8,877

$0.67 ₽56.3

-40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 LAK 39.0K

$3.10 ₽259

-43.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 LAK 218.2K

$7.18 ₽599

35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 LAK 23.7K

$0.98 ₽81.5

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 LAK 46.4K

$1.87 ₽156

10.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 LAK 10.1K

$0.56 ₽47.15

-19.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.69 LAK 1.1M

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 LAK 30.2K

$2.13 ₽178

-36.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

$0.33 ₽27.20

160.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 LAK 97.1K

$4.97 ₽415

-12.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 LAK 32.2K

$0.84 ₽69.9

71.43%

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

$28.6K LAK 640.4M

$32.4K ₽2.7M

-11.71%

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

$28.8K LAK 645.0M

$34.7K ₽2.9M

-17.01%

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

$88.9 LAK 2.0M

$135 ₽11.3K

-34.23%

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

$32.58 LAK 729.6K

$5.99 ₽500

443.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.36 LAK 276.8K

$9.07 ₽757

36.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 LAK 1.0M

$31.80 ₽2,654

46.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.67 LAK 171.9K

$23.76 ₽1,983

-67.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 LAK 95.0K

$6.34 ₽529

-33.12%

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

$613 LAK 13.7M

$338 ₽28.2K

81.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K LAK 247.7M

$6,938 ₽579.0K

59.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.96 LAK 603.8K

$90.7 ₽7,567

-70.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 LAK 1.5M

$51.4 ₽4,292

30.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 LAK 1.3M

$132 ₽11.0K

-56.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.45 LAK 928.2K

$103 ₽8,590

-59.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 LAK 14.1M

$487 ₽40.6K

29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 LAK 9.3M

$339 ₽28.3K

22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 LAK 26.6M

$789 ₽65.8K

50.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 LAK 17.3M

$527 ₽44.0K

46.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,313 LAK 51.8M

$2,481 ₽207.1K

-6.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 LAK 24.7M

$1,309 ₽109.2K

-15.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 LAK 5.9M

$753 ₽62.9K

-65.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

-53.38%

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

Last update for Vientiane: October 10, 2026

Last update for Smolensk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vientiane

$415 38.7%

Smolensk

$339 31.8% 18.3% $76

Groceries & Markets

Vientiane

$254 23.6%

Smolensk

$204 19.1% 19.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vientiane

$134 12.5%

Smolensk

$150 14.1% 12.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Vientiane

$87 8.1%

Smolensk

$170 15.9% 95.7% $83

Eating Out

Vientiane

$74 6.9%

Smolensk

$155 14.5% 110% $81

Getting Around

Vientiane

$55 5.1%

Smolensk

$6 * 0.6% 89.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Vientiane

$55 5.1%

Smolensk

$44 4.2% 19.3% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $630 in Vientiane versus $487 in Smolensk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 187% higher in Smolensk. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Vientiane versus $32.00 in Smolensk. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Vientiane vs $204 in Smolensk – so Smolensk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🇷🇺 Smolensk

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

4 h behind Vientiane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

783,000 Capital

325,495

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.47 USD

100,000 LAK = 3.97 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇦 Lao Kip (₭)

Lao Kip exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 22,392 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.47 USD). 1 EUR = 25,177 LAK (100,000 LAK = 3.97 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vientiane Smolensk 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Vientiane
Smolensk

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 Smolensk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,610 per month in Vientiane and $1,602 in Smolensk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Smolensk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Vientiane and $32.00 in Smolensk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Vientiane and $338 in Smolensk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Smolensk, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Vientiane at $1,073. In Smolensk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vientiane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Smolensk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Smolensk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vientiane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.