Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vientiane and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Vientiane: $1,076 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Vientiane

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,076

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vientiane and in Ubud, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Vientiane versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Vientiane $1,076
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,617 in Vientiane versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Vientiane $1,617
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,158 in Vientiane versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Vientiane $2,158
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Vientiane costs roughly 20% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 LAK 61.4K

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

-17.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.52 LAK 392.6K

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

-50.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 LAK 116.8K

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

-5.79%

Cappuccino

$1.80 LAK 40.4K

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

-33.82%

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

$0.68 LAK 15.2K

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 LAK 8,678

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 LAK 31.1K

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

-47.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 LAK 40.9K

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

-58.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 LAK 45.5K

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 LAK 26.2K

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 LAK 22.3K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-15.97%

Eggs

$1.82 LAK 40.8K

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.95 LAK 603.8K

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 LAK 135.7K

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

53.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.69 LAK 149.9K

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

-45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 LAK 55.1K

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

-32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LAK 25.0K

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 LAK 57.2K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

-24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 LAK 31.8K

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-23.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 LAK 23.4K

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

-56.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 LAK 12.6K

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-43.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 LAK 8,255

$0.51 Rp 9,303

-27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 LAK 39.5K

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

-20.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 LAK 220.8K

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LAK 23.9K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-52.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 LAK 47.6K

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-28.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 LAK 9,395

$0.25 Rp 4,548

68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.87 LAK 1.1M

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

512.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 LAK 29.2K

$0.44 Rp 7,964

195.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

$0.43 Rp 7,793

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 LAK 97.7K

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

-19.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 LAK 33.8K

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

84.15%

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

$28.1K LAK 629.6M

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

17.85%

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

$29.0K LAK 650.1M

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-8.62%

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

$89.5 LAK 2.0M

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

13.19%

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

$32.56 LAK 729.7K

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

404.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 LAK 271.9K

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

-34.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.31 LAK 1.1M

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

-2.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 LAK 174.2K

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

-55.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.19 LAK 94.0K

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

-1.87%

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

$619 LAK 13.9M

$491 Rp 8.9M

26.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K LAK 247.6M

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

94.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.27 LAK 588.7K

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

-41.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 LAK 1.5M

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

94.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.5 LAK 1.3M

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.73 LAK 935.0K

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-47.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 LAK 14.4M

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 LAK 9.3M

$671 Rp 12.2M

-38.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 LAK 27.5M

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

-65.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 LAK 16.8M

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

-56.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,326 LAK 52.1M

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-14.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,113 LAK 24.9M

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-51.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 LAK 6.0M

$164 Rp 3.0M

64.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-27.43%

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

Last update for Vientiane: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vientiane

$416 38.6%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 61.4% $256

Groceries & Markets

Vientiane

$253 23.5%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 13.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vientiane

$134 12.5%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 22.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Vientiane

$87 8.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 23.5% $20

Eating Out

Vientiane

$74 6.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 45.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Vientiane

$57 5.3%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 2.3% $1.3

Getting Around

Vientiane

$55 5.1%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 79.3% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Vientiane and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vientiane pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18 in Vientiane vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $288 per month, with Vientiane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇦 Vientiane

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

1 h ahead of Vientiane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

783,000 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Lao Kip LAK ₭

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to LAK – Lao Kip Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇦 Lao Kip (₭)

Lao Kip exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,407 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD). 1 EUR = 25,019 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to LAK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vientiane Ubud, Bali 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vientiane
Ubud, Bali

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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vientiane wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Vientiane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Vientiane, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $642 in Vientiane versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $619 in Vientiane versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Vientiane gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.