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Laos
Laos provides national context for a visit or move. Read its sourced introduction and dated national indicators, then compare individual cities for seasonal weather, housing and daily journeys. National averages cannot establish the costs, services or conditions of a particular neighbourhood.
Compare relocation preferencesGet to know Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic , is a country in Mainland Southeast Asia, and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Laos has a population of more than 7.5 million, and its capital and most populous city is Vientiane. It has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the town of Luang Prabang, the temple complex of Vat Phou, and the Plain of Jars. Laos participates in the Greater Mekong Subregion economic cooperation programme and is a member of ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, East Asia Summit, La Francophonie, and the World Trade Organization. The kingdom of Lan Xang existed from the 13th to 18th centuries and was a hub for overland trade through its territory. In 1707 it split into three kingdoms: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak. In 1893, these kingdoms were unified under French rule as part of French Indochina.
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Planning a move or a longer stay
National averages are a starting point, not a neighbourhood budget. Shortlist specific places in Laos, compare housing for your dates and check the journey to work, school or the activities that matter to you.
For a move, confirm residence and work requirements with the relevant government authority for your nationality. For a holiday, compare transport, accommodation and daily spending separately.
Understanding national conditions
These figures describe Laos as a whole. Check the dates when comparing these national indicators with current local conditions.
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
9,800 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
69.2 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
26 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
65.6 percent
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
40 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Limited confidence. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
38.1 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
12.1 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 2022. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
178.4 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2022. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Education system (national)
66.5 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →