#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Laos Forum >  >  > Laos Questions >  >  Cost of living in Vientiane, Laos

## Laolady

The following are estimates of how much things cost in Laos. The cost of living in Laos depends on where you live. The following prices are in Lao kip and also USD and reflect the cost of living in Vientiane only. Things will be cheaper in a small town and villages throughout the country.

*Renting a house or an apartment* 
House rental rates vary so much in Laos. It depends on what you want. It costs between USD100 to 2000 and up per month. The lower cost would be a single room without any furniture. The more expensive rate is usually a big house with 3 or 4 bedrooms and a garden. If you want to seek out where you should find a place to rent here’s a list of the realtors you can contact:
*1.* *LaoHomes.com - Property Listing*
*2.Tou Tou's House for Rent*
Tel: 020 5522142, 5100408, 7718417. Email: TouTou2004[at]hotmail.com
*3. LFT Consulting Co; Ltd. Real Estate Services*
Tel: 021-244435, Fax 021-244436, mobile 020-5718893. E-mail:lft_group[at]laopdr.com, lft_group[at]yahoo.com"
*4. Ourdalee's house renting service*
Tel 0205 512 502, 0205 511791, 0205 659 146. Email: oudalee_rangsy[at]yahoo.com"
• *Vientiane Property Service:* 020 5599900, 5619160, vientianerealtor[at]yahoo.com
* *Apartments for rent:* 020 5023782, hotellao[at]laotel.com
* *Houses and home advisor:* 020 5519152
* *Peter's Rent-a-House*: 0205-526 525 or peter.rentahouse[at]gmail.com

*Food*
The following are the estimated prices only and the prices can be much more or less depending on where you eat. Eating house: they usually offer many kinds of dishes, such as pho (beef noodle) and should cost between USD 1.5 to 2. The Prices are the same for fried rice, rice with chicken or pork, and there are still many others with this same price tag. There is delicious French bread here and it should cost about USD 2 for a French bread sandwich with tuna fish. Or there are meat, cheese and other you can choose. The prices are about the same or a bit more or less depending on what you what sandwich you want. If you buy only bread then the cost should be about 3000 kip (USD 0.5) per big loaf in street markets but it’s more expensive if you buy in the supermarket or tourist areas.

*Restaurants*
There are many restaurants in Laos, especially in tourist areas. There are Italian restaurants, French restaurants, Indian restaurants, Chinese restaurants, etc. You can expect to pay about 20000 to 70000 kip per portion in nice restaurants. There are buffet restaurants, too, and the price is between 35000 kip to 150000 kip, depending where you want to go. There is no pizza hut or KFC here but Thai Pizza Company is going to open the branch here.

*Drink*:
 *Drinking water*
3000 kip for a small bottle and 5000 kip for a big bottle

*Soft drink*
5000 – 8000 kip (less than $1) for a can, 8000- 10,000 kip($1 and a bit more ) for a small bottle, 12,000 – 15,000 kip($1.5- $2) for a medium one and 18,000- 20,000 kip ($2 – $2.5)for a bit one

*Lao Beer*
6000 kip(a bit less than $ 1) per can and 8000 kip(about $1) for a big bottle, up to 10,000 to 15,000 kip for a big bottle if you order in a restaurant or a bar

*Cigarettes*
 Local brands around 5000 kip, Marlboro about 10,000 to 12,000 kip

*Cost of Utilities in Laos:* 
 It’s about $ 10 – 15 per month for electricity and $ 5-10 for water, this can be greatly or less depending on how much you use. If you use air condition often you expect to pay $ 50 and up per month. It’s pretty cheap compare to other countries. 

*Clothing*
 T-shirt and shirt cost about $5-$10, jeans about $10 - $15, sandals are $8 to $10 

*Transportation* 
*Local bus:* these are very cheap, about 2000 – 5000 kip anywhere in the city but bus here is not convenient, usually only local use this kind of buses, I seldom see foreigners in these buses. 

*Taxi:*majority in the airport, they charge $ 6 dollars from airport to anywhere in the city. There are not many taxis in the city. They usually use Tuk-tuk .

*Tuk-tuk:* it’s mainly use, the cost vary from the distance you go, they can charge you around $2- $5 depending on your destination but be careful many people get scam from those tuk-tuk driver they charge you over price so better discuss the price before you go with them. You can bargain if you think that their charge is so ridiculous.

Source: travel to Laos: Cost of living in Laos

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## crazy dog

> The following are estimates of how much things cost in Laos. 
> Source: travel to Laos: Cost of living in Laos



Interesting info if anyone wants to go, not me though. Went once three years ago after looking forwad to it for years, what a disappointment it turned out to be. Most boring country in SEA for sure, everywhere seems to shut about 10PM, that's if you can find anywhere worth going to start with. I went hoping to see some real lao music but all there was were the odd singer copying Thai string or Luktung, any mention of Morlam and people seemed to thnk it somehow old fashioned. Looked to me like what culture they once had is disappearing fast from western and Thai influences.

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## blackgang

> such as pho (beef noodle) and should cost between USD 1.5 to 2.


OK, What I can get here for $0.70, cost me there $1.50+




> USD100 to 2000 and up per month. The lower cost would be a single room without any furniture


My house here in nice Moo Ban, quiet and close in is $115, 3 bedrooms furnished.

So it seems like the Laos Chamber of Commerce here on TD is doing a hell of a job.

Kind of Spamming really.

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## dirtydog

^You live in Nakhon Nowhere though blackgang, not a countries capital city as Vientiane is.
But your right, she is just a spammer.

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## Gallowspole

Had my fill of Vientiane in the 90's and haven't been back since despite living just 24 km from it. 

Actually that's a lie, set foot there a month or so back with Marmers and Tex, but that was under the radar.  :Smile:

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## blackgang

> ^You live in Nakhon Nowhere though blackgang


What the flock you talking about Dog, I live dead center of this wonderful vacation paradise, Nakon Nofuckinwhere I say. HA.

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## jarne

its expencive

and the lao guys are braindead
read the intro in the lonely planet guide Laos on how they regard education and brainwork, then its no wonder they all just seems to stare into the emptiness.
The girls are the glue keeping it all together
and money aid in buckets from France and Australia

my top two girl is from Laos
wow she was top top super top
but emotionally
Frankensteins sister


once i was working on a costruction site on a small island in Norway
and me and my co worker
both hired by the same company 
sheared the same accomodation, a cottage.
In the course of the late night conversation
we ended up talking about sanity.
He had lost his job as a bus driver
and he told me he had been hospitalized earlier in an mental institution
and diagnosed not legally accountable for his actions
he could kill he told me
without the risk of inprisonment.

im so happy you sheared this with me, i thought

anyway
this lao girl could have been his sister as well

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## Shipm8te

What sort of long term visa does Lao offer of those who may want to retire there?

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## jandajoy

What a weird series of posts

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## watterinja

> What sort of long term visa does Lao offer of those who may want to retire there?


Not sure this is an easy thing, to be honest.

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## watterinja

Laos is a lovely country, with friendly, conservative people.

It is extremely expensive, when compared to Thailand. I'm not sure it would be ready,  for an influx of foreign long-term residents, however.

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## beerlaodrinker

[img] 
It is extremely expensive, when compared to Thailand. I'm not sure it would be ready, for an influx of foreign long-term residents, however
[/img]
Been living in vientiane for 5 years now and find some things more expensive than thailand and somethings cheaper, usually go to Thailand once a month for shopping though because its more convenient to shop in 1 place instead of 20 like laos , its now 2011 and vientiane is full of falangs so cant agree with you about an influx of long termers i am one of them bought a house married a lao girl had 2 kids , this is the retirement place for me . Years ago my preference was for the philippines and thailand but things change

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## Vientianeboy

Great country. The people are far friendlier than than the Thai.

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