Cost of living comparison
Laos is 51.2% more expensive than Sao Tome and Principe overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 64.8% less in Laos
- Groceries
-
pay 16.2% less in Laos
- Transportation
-
pay 19.8% less in Laos
- Housing
-
pay 3.4 times more in Laos
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 1.1% less in Laos
- Clothing
-
pay 2.7 times more in Laos
The cost of housing and clothing in Laos are more expensive than in Sao Tome and Principe. Expenses including restaurants, transportation, groceries, and entertainment and sports are lower in Laos. Notably, housing and clothing are significantly more expensive in Laos.
If you lived in Laos instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
pay 64.8% less for restaurants
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$18.76
STD417,914
|
$1.90
LAK41,000
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.11
STD202,987
|
$4.20
LAK90,866
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.76
STD39,244
|
$0.69
LAK14,921
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.07
STD23,881
|
$0.49
LAK10,494
|
|
pay 16.2% less for groceries
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$0.95
STD21,104
|
$1.00
LAK21,662
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$9.38
STD208,957
|
$13.03
LAK281,628
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$4.73
STD105,465
|
$6.40
LAK138,324
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.92
STD87,436
|
$2.06
LAK44,624
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$8.51
STD189,563
|
$2.07
LAK44,738
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$1.46
STD32,496
|
$0.75
LAK16,102
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.49
STD10,832
|
$0.74
LAK16,031
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.70
STD37,913
|
$0.96
LAK20,689
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.46
STD32,496
|
$1.29
LAK27,861
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.09
STD24,372
|
$0.70
LAK15,021
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$0.85
STD18,956
|
$0.45
LAK9,770
|
|
pay 19.8% less for transportation
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$5.74
STD127,914
|
$4.61
LAK99,530
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass | ?? |
$53.85
LAK1,163,789
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | ?? |
$28,167.89
LAK608,727,538
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | ?? |
$10.57
LAK228,501
|
|
pay 3.4 times more for housing
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
?? |
$8.98
LAK194,139
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$321.53
STD7,164,243
|
$993.83
LAK21,477,308
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$214.35
STD4,776,162
|
$809.30
LAK17,489,610
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
?? |
$58.85
LAK1,271,692
|
|
pay (unknown) more for childcare
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | ?? |
$291.32
LAK6,295,725
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | ?? |
$9,140.14
LAK197,524,828
|
pay 1.1% less for entertainment and sports
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$1.09
STD24,239
|
$1.11
LAK23,900
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$1.61
STD35,821
|
$1.62
LAK34,988
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$2.14
STD47,762
|
$1.78
LAK38,562
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$34.30
STD764,186
|
$66.31
LAK1,433,044
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$19.29
STD429,855
|
$2.97
LAK64,226
|
|
pay 2.7 times more for clothing
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Laos
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
?? |
$78.60
LAK1,698,563
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
?? |
$61.45
LAK1,327,916
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
?? |
$65.22
LAK1,409,437
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$17.58
STD391,645
|
$46.67
LAK1,008,571
|
|
Change currency:
Compare by city
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Laos or Sao Tome and Principe. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.