Pakse at a glance
- Pakse ranks 2nd of 5 priced cities in Laos on cost: $576 a month in essentials, 4% above Savannakhet, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $206 covers that 0.4×.
- 102.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 13.3 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 Pakse 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 | $576 | $595 | $19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $297 | $309 | $12 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $461 | $480 | $19 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $87 | $90 | $3 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $54 | $55 | $1 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $94 | $96 | $2 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $44 | $45 | $1 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $206 | $212 | $5 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $492 | $513 | $21 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $778 | $811 | $33 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Pakse, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.07 | $2.14 | $0.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $15.00 | $15.53 | $0.53 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.50 | $4.66 | $0.16 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.44 | $1.49 | $0.05 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.15 | $1.19 | $0.04 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.50 | $1.55 | $0.05 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.60 | $0.62 | $0.02 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.31 | $0.33 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.69 | $1.75 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.96 | $0.99 | $0.03 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.86 | $0.89 | $0.03 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.57 | $1.63 | $0.06 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $22.92 | $23.72 | $0.80 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.23 | $5.41 | $0.18 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.01 | $2.09 | $0.08 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.96 | $0.99 | $0.03 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.28 | $1.33 | $0.05 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.23 | $1.28 | $0.05 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.91 | $0.94 | $0.03 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.34 | $0.35 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.41 | $0.41 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $44.36 | $45.08 | $0.72 |
| Taxi start | $1.22 | $1.24 | $0.02 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.81 | $0.83 | $0.02 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.29 | $1.31 | $0.02 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $82.99 | $84.34 | $1.35 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $11.29 | $11.48 | $0.19 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $29.91 | $30.39 | $0.48 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $40.00 | $41.41 | $1.41 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.56 | $3.69 | $0.13 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Pakse has 102.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 3rd-highest of 5 Laos cities we track. Laos's national figure is 101.9, so Pakse runs 1 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 Pakse ranks against every city we track
Pakse sits ahead of 74% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 64% of 1010. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 7% of 991.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Pakse sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Pakse on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Pakse beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Pakse in the research deskOr unlock the Laos deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated