Cambodia vs Laos

Laos costs roughly 41% less than Cambodia. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.

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Laos is approximately 41% less expensive than Cambodia based on cost of living including rent. This makes Laos a more expensive option for expats considering a move.

Cambodia has a FIRE Score of 98/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The country's safety index is 52.7, suggesting moderate safety levels.

Recommended profile: Cambodia is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.

Overall Winner

About Cambodia

A Healthcare Index of 25.8 rules this out for retirees with serious medical needs. Skip it if you need English-language ease too, proficiency is low. But budget-focused remote workers or younger retirees chasing sub-$1,000/month living, with rent from around $273 and a real digital nomad visa route, will find it hard to beat.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,008/mo

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Living Costs (excl. rent)

Single (excl. rent)$576
Family (excl. rent)$2,073

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$416
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$273
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$800
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$523

Attractiveness Scores

FIRE Score
98/100
Retiree Score
40/100
Nomad Score
67/100


Country Details →

About Laos

Laos offers no retirement visa, though a digital nomad visa is available, and healthcare scores a weak 27.8 with limited English-speaking doctors. Only budget-focused expats comfortable with real risk should push past that, drawn by rent as low as $490.47/mo outside the center and a COL index of just 24 versus NYC. Political stability sits near zero and the ease of access score is 4/10, so plan around bureaucracy, not through it.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$1,588/mo

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Living Costs (excl. rent)

Single (excl. rent)$589
Family (excl. rent)$2,153

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$824
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$490
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$1,414
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$863

Attractiveness Scores

FIRE Score
77/100
Retiree Score
46/100
Nomad Score
77/100


Country Details →

Battle of Lifestyles

Scroll to compare

MetricCambodiaLaos
Travel Advisory
Level 2: Increased CautionLevel 2: Increased Caution
Quality of Life Index
93.8 +2.2
91.6
Healthcare Index
25.8 27.8 +2.0
Safety Index
52.7
61.4 +8.7
Cost of Living Index
33.9 24 +9.9
Living Costs (Single, excl. rent)$576.1 +12.5$588.6
Living Costs (Family, excl. rent)$2,072.5 +80.9$2,153.4
1BR Apartment (Center)$415.52 +408.3$823.82
1BR Apartment (Outside)$272.75 +217.72$490.47
3BR Apartment (Center)$800 +613.53$1,413.53
3BR Apartment (Outside)$523.2 +339.87$863.07
Avg Internet Speed81.17 Mbps 90.44 Mbps +9.3

Frequently Asked Questions

Click any question to expand the answer.

We use a "Pure Data" approach, pulling raw facts from high-authority sources including private sources for real-time crowd-sourced pricing, the World Bank for stability metrics, and official government visa portals.

The FIRE Score is a dynamic metric based on your Monthly Income vs. Total Expenses. It calculates your potential savings rate; the more you save, the higher the score.

Our indices (Quality of Life, Healthcare, Safety, Cost of Living) are relative metrics. For example, a higher Quality of Life Index indicates better purchasing power, safety, and healthcare, while a higher Cost of Living Index means the country is more expensive relative to others.

The Retiree Score is a holistic measure of how suitable a country is for long-term retirement. It is calculated from three main factors: healthcare system quality, safety index, and the general cost of living.

The Nomad Score measures how well a country supports remote workers. It is calculated from average internet speeds, the cost of living, and the safety index.

The "Single" toggle calculates costs based on a 1-Bedroom apartment. "Family" assumes a 3-Bedroom apartment and the expenses for a household of four.