Laos, Vientiane

Country Full Name: Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Location: Laos is in South-eastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam.

Country Climate: Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April).

Country Terrain: Mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus.

Major Languages: Lao, French (for diplomatic purposes).

Major Religions: Buddhism.

Population: 0.754 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Laos is heavily dependent on investment and trade with its neighbours, Thailand, Vietnam, and, especially in the north, China. Much of the country lacks adequate infrastructure. Subsistence agriculture still accounts for half of the GDP and provides 80 percent of employment.

Currency: Lao Kip (LAK). Make an international currency transfer to Laos.

Inflation: 7.9% (2011 est.).

Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos.

Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point. A short link connects Vientiane with Thailand over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

The cost of living in Vientiane in Laos is low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Vientiane in Laos is currently ranked 586 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 258 places that are more expensive, and 521 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 561 places that are more expensive, and 218 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 234 places that are more expensive, and 545 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 733 places that are more expensive, and 46 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 444 places that are more expensive, and 335 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 215 places that are more expensive, and 564 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 506 places that are more expensive, and 273 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 626 places that are more expensive, and 153 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 752 places that are more expensive, and 27 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 238 places that are more expensive, and 541 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 513 places that are more expensive, and 266 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 735 places that are more expensive, and 44 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are average compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 335 places that are more expensive, and 444 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Vientiane in Laos are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Vientiane in Laos is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Vientiane in Laos are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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