Cost of Living as a Digital Nomad in Laos

We knew Laos was going to be cheap. Kie had visited previously so we knew we could cut back our expenses while we were here. But how cheap was it going to be?

We entered Laos from Thailand, which was great as it was a more sustainable way to travel plus it meant we got to enjoy the slow boat. We got a 30-day visa on arrival and then we extended this once for another 30 days.

Both were easy to get and worth it to be able to stay longer in this beautiful country. All up, we spent 48 days in the country. So I averaged out our expenses to make this for an average month.

Below is a breakdown of the average monthly living costs for the two of us. Hopefully, this helps if you’re wondering how much it costs to live as a digital nomad. We definitely couldn’t live the lifestyle we did in Laos back in New Zealand on this kind of budget. If you’re curious you can also check out our other cost of living posts.

monthly living costs for digital nomads in laos charts

Rent

This is always our biggest expense so no surprise it topped the list again. We did struggle to find places within budget at first.

We arrived in Luang Prabang on the Slow Boat with a hotel booked for the first few nights. But it was a pretty sparse room with a bed and nothing else. Not exactly the best setup for two digital nomads for a month.

We hunted around to find something with a kettle, fridge and desk but we couldn’t find anything in budget. So we started to look further south in Vang Vieng.

After 10 days in Luang Prabang, we headed south on the train.

We had a cute little room in the centre of town for the first week. Then we headed to the outskirts to a larger hotel with a pool for a month. We really appreciated the pool as it started getting hotter and drier.

Our final stop was in Vientiane for five days. Definitely, more time than you need in Vientiane, but we were pretty tired of Vang Vieng by then.

Everywhere we stayed before Vientiane included breakfast which meant our food costs dropped and the price here is slightly inflated compared to other breakdowns. It was nice to have breakfast onsite when we didn’t have our own kitchen.

Dining Out

As mentioned above, we only ate out for lunch and dinner almost the whole time in Laos. In Vang Vieng, we were big fans of the excellent sandwiches available all over town. These are similar to Vietnamese bánh mì and just as delicious.

Dinners were usually pretty cheap. There aren’t that many fancy restaurants in Vang Vieng. However we did indulge a few times in Luang Prabang.

Spending

Luang Prabang is a gorgeous town and we spent a bit of money enjoying it. We wanted to be out and about enjoying the city vibes.

We also visited Kuang Si Waterfall which is a must-do. Try and get there early, before the buses of tourists arrive.

There is very little to do in Vang Vieng when you’re there for a month. It was burning season so we slowly watched the sky cloud over and avoided spending too much time outside.

This was great for spending less. We did enjoy the Blue Lagoon and explored Tham Chang Cave.

The other thing we spent a lot of money on was the kitten we rescued, Tofu. He was left for dead and we kept him in our hotel room while he built up enough strength to go to a more permanent home. Worth every penny.

Visa

We paid for two visas each in Laos. One for 30 days when we arrived. Then we got an extension while we were in Vang Vieng.

These weren’t cheap but meant that we could travel more sustainably and just use ground transportation.

Groceries

We didn’t have a kitchen while we were in Laos, so we did very little grocery shopping. We didn’t need to get coffee or fruit as we’d usually have these at breakfast or we could buy juice super cheap.

Going to a grocery store can add up as you sneak those extras into your trolley so this helped cut back our expenses.

Transport

While we were in Laos, we took a lot of different transport. We took the highly efficient train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. We took a minibus from Vang Vieng to Vientiane.

Kie borrowed a scooter one day and it decided to blow a tyre. So we paid to repair that. We hired a scooter on the weekends to explore Vang Vieng.

We took a few Grab rides around the capital to go to museums and other sites. But elsewhere we stayed so centrally we didn’t need a lot of taxis.

Subscriptions, Cellphone, Bank Fees

Cellphone charges are definitely a lot cheaper here than back home. We used 4G a couple of times for work. but overall we were impressed with the connectivity at our hotels and the coffee shops.

Bank fees were charged by the Laos ATMs each time we took money out, but there were limits on how much you could take out at one time.

All the ATMs charged different amounts but it wasn’t enough of a difference for us to track down the cheapest one.

What we have done is to make sure our banks aren’t overcharging us for taking money out. That’s why we recommend Wise accounts to anyone who is travelling.

laos monks collecting alms — *Laos monks collecting their alms early in the morning*

Final Note

Laos is a beautiful country that is changing rapidly. I’m so glad we visited when we did, but I would recommend timing your trip so that you’re not there during the burning season!

All up, if you can find well-priced accommodation in Luang Prabang, I would definitely recommend it for a digital nomad stay.

Vang Vieng is fine, but very quiet. Vientiene was not one of my favourite places. So I’d recommend just a few days on your way in or out of the country.

Have you tried living in Laos as a digital nomad? I’d love to hear about your experience. Let us know in the comments below.

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