2019 travel costs for Laos

I visited Laos for the first and second time this year. I crossed from NE Thailand into Laos at Vientiane in October 2019, and spent three nights in Vientiane, then up to Luang Prabang for 6 nights. Then I visited again spent in November and December 2019, crossing into Southern Laos from Cambodia, and working my way north through the 4000 Islands, Pakse, Savannaket, and Thakhek, to cross back into Thailand at Nakhon Phanom. Here is a brief run-down of my spending on these trips (as a solo flashpacker).

Although not as expensive as Cambodia, Laos is still a bit more expensive than Thailand, with loads of fancy French restaurants and patisseries to tempt you into going over your budget. I spent an average of £40 / $48.50 USD per day (about 1480 THB. By comparison, I spent about 1000 THB a day in northern and NE Thailand).

Accommodation often hovers around the $20-22 USD mark for standard, decent places with AC. Exchange rates vary a lot from place to place, so these are all approx.

• Vientiane – $22 (210,000 kip)
• Luang Prabang  – $20 (180,000 kip)
• Don Khone (part of the 4000 Islands) – $33 (300,000 kip). There were loads of cheaper, more backpackery places available on the islands, especially on the more touristy Don Dhet, but I decided I wanted to splurge a little on a nice place in a quieter part of the islands. 
• Pakse – $29 (260,000 kip)
• Savannaket – $22 (205,000 kip)
• Thakhek – $22 (200,000 kip) 

Food and drink: average $17.23 USD (£13.13) per day in the north (a lot of tourist-oriented restaurants, a lot of fancy pastries and croissants, and a few high end meals at expensive restaurants) and $9.90 USD (£7.54) in the south. Sample costs might be:

• $3.37 (30,000 kip) for a croissant or pastry, and coffee or tea
• $7-7.50 (60,000-68,000 kip) for a baguette and juice or coffee
• $14.50 (130,000 kip) for a three-course lunch in a nice French restaurant
• $5-6.60 (45,000-53,000 kip) for a curry, rice, and water at a tourist-oriented small restaurant
• $2.25 (20,000 kip) for a plate of local food in a small (non-touristy) restaurant
• $1.15 (10,000 kip) for noodles at the market
• $0.50 (5000 kip) for a large bottle of water in a touristy area

Sightseeing: average $5.85 USD (£4.50) per day.  Sample costs include 10,000 kip ($1.12) donation at a small temple, 20,000-50,000 kip ($2.25-$5.60) entry to museums or tourist sites, 85,000 kip ($9.55) for a half-day boat trip out of Luang Prabang, and 200,000 kip ($22.50) for a full day kayak trip out of 4000 Islands. Remember to budget for souvenirs (all those beautiful hand-woven textiles are sure to catch your eye....)

Transport: average $4.90 USD (£3.80) per day. Coaches or minibuses between towns typically cost around $3.50-$11 per trip, depending on the distance, and tuktuks and taxis around town tend to charge tourist prices, so expect to pay $3 for a short trip, and $6-7 for a longer one (such as from Luang Prabang or Vientane town centre to the airport). Arriving in Luang Prabang, the airport taxis even put me and another tourist in the same taxi, and charged us both full fare!

So, that gives you a rough idea how much you might spend, assuming you travel as a solo flashpacker, and like your French pastries as much as I do.