Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Vientiane is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: safety โ Vang Vieng 3 vs Vientiane 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Vang Vieng | Vientiane | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โญ 40,000$1.82 | โญ 60,000$2.73 | Vang Vieng โ33% |
| Street food1 item | โญ 30,000$1.36 | โญ 30,000$1.36 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โญ 120,000$5.45 | โญ 200,000$9.09 | Vang Vieng โ40% |
| Coffeeone cup | โญ 30,000$1.36 | โญ 40,000$1.82 | Vang Vieng โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | โญ 25,000$1.14 | โญ 30,000$1.36 | Vang Vieng โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โญ 60,000$2.73 | โญ 70,000$3.18 | Vang Vieng โ14% |
| Bottled water | โญ 6,000$0.27 | โญ 5,000$0.23 | Vientiane โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โญ 10,000$0.45 | โญ 15,000$0.68 | Vang Vieng โ33% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โญ 70,000$3.18 | โญ 60,000$2.73 | Vientiane โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โญ 40,000$1.82 | โญ 40,000$1.82 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โญ 10,000$0.45 | โญ 10,000$0.45 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โญ 130,000$5.91 | โญ 100,000$4.55 | Vientiane โ23% |
| Hotel night3-star | โญ 900,000$40.9 | โญ 700,000$31.8 | Vientiane โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | โญ 8,000,000$364 | โญ 11,000,000$500 | Vang Vieng โ27% |
| Laundry | โญ 20,000$0.91 | โญ 15,000$0.68 | Vientiane โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | โญ 80,000$3.64 | โญ 80,000$3.64 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โญ 40,000$1.82 | โญ 40,000$1.82 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | โญ 100,000$4.55 | โญ 100,000$4.55 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โญ 400,000$18.2 | โญ 300,000$13.6 | Vientiane โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โญ 20,000$0.91 | โญ 30,000$1.36 | Vang Vieng โ33% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Vang Vieng is 7% cheaper than Vientiane. Daily budget $63.8 vs $60.9; a month $1,303 vs $1,561.
Vientiane is easier: Vientiane 3.0/5 vs Vang Vieng 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Vang Vieng is about $1,303 and Vientiane about $1,561 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.