Luang Prabang at a glance
- Luang Prabang ranks 4th of 5 priced cities in Laos on cost: $666 a month in essentials, 20% above Savannakhet, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $233 covers that 0.3×.
- 115 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 14.2 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 Laos cities we track, so every row says whether Luang Prabang is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $666 | $595 | $71 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $363 | $309 | $54 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $563 | $480 | $83 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $97 | $90 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $60 | $55 | $5 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $99 | $96 | $3 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $47 | $45 | $2 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $233 | $212 | $21 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $602 | $513 | $89 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $951 | $811 | $140 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Luang Prabang, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.31 | $2.14 | $0.17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $16.77 | $15.53 | $1.24 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.03 | $4.66 | $0.37 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.61 | $1.49 | $0.12 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.28 | $1.19 | $0.09 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.67 | $1.55 | $0.12 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.67 | $0.62 | $0.05 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.35 | $0.33 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.89 | $1.75 | $0.14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.07 | $0.99 | $0.08 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.96 | $0.89 | $0.07 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.76 | $1.63 | $0.13 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $25.61 | $23.72 | $1.89 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.84 | $5.41 | $0.43 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.25 | $2.09 | $0.16 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.07 | $0.99 | $0.08 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.43 | $1.33 | $0.10 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.38 | $1.28 | $0.10 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.02 | $0.94 | $0.08 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.38 | $0.35 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.43 | $0.41 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $46.76 | $45.08 | $1.68 |
| Taxi start | $1.29 | $1.24 | $0.05 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.86 | $0.83 | $0.03 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.36 | $1.31 | $0.05 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $87.48 | $84.34 | $3.14 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $11.90 | $11.48 | $0.42 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $31.52 | $30.39 | $1.13 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $44.71 | $41.41 | $3.30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.98 | $3.69 | $0.29 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Luang Prabang has 115 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the highest of the 5 Laos cities we track. Laos's national figure is 101.9, so Luang Prabang runs 13 above the country as a whole.
Every Laos region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Luang Prabang ranks against every city we track
Luang Prabang sits ahead of 67% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On safety it is ahead of 53% of 1016. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 5% of 991.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Luang Prabang sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Luang Prabang on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Luang Prabang beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Luang Prabang in the research deskOr unlock the Laos deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Colin Roe, Unsplash License.
Data updated