Laos on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Laos is excellent for budget travel, with cheap guesthouses, market food and low entry fees. A realistic minimum is about ₭630,000 per person a day: ₭200,000 for a bed, ₭250,000 for food, ₭80,000 for sights and ₭100,000 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ₭200,000 | ₭600,000 | ₭2,000,000 |
| Food & drink | ₭250,000 | ₭500,000 | ₭1,000,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ₭80,000 | ₭200,000 | ₭600,000 |
| Local transport | ₭100,000 | ₭250,000 | ₭600,000 |
| Per person, per day | ₭630,000 | ₭1,550,000 | ₭4,200,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Laos day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Watch the dawn alms giving (tak bat) of monks in Luang Prabang, respectfully and from a distance.
- Walk the Luang Prabang peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers.
- The Luang Prabang night market on Sisavangvong Road (browsing is free).
- The COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane, on UXO survivors and prosthetics.
- Sunset along the Mekong riverfront in Vientiane.
- The karst scenery and rice fields around Vang Vieng by bicycle.
Cheap eats
- Night-market vegetarian buffet: ₭20,000–30,000 a plate.
- Khao piak sen noodle soup: about ₭25,000–40,000.
- Baguette sandwich (khao jee pâté): about ₭15,000–25,000.
- Larb with sticky rice: about ₭30,000–50,000.
- Lao coffee with condensed milk: about ₭10,000–20,000.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Luang Prabang's old-town guesthouses and Vang Vieng's centre, with fan or air-conditioned rooms and breakfast from about ₭300,000–600,000 a double, and dorms cheaper.
Getting around cheaply
Take the Laos-China Railway between Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane; second-class seats are cheap and fast. Stations are outside towns, so share a minivan or tuk-tuk to the centre. Rent bicycles in Luang Prabang and scooters (about ₭100,000–150,000 a day) if experienced.
A sample budget day
- Morning: alms giving at dawn, then Wat Xieng Thong (about ₭30,000).
- Lunch: noodle soup (about ₭35,000).
- Afternoon: shared tuk-tuk to Kuang Si Falls (about ₭60,000 entry plus the ride).
- Evening: climb Mount Phousi (about ₭30,000) for sunset and eat at the night-market buffet (about ₭25,000).
- Total: about ₭630,000 including a guesthouse bed.
More ways to save
- Travel in the green season for lower guesthouse rates and full waterfalls.
- Choose guesthouses that include breakfast.
- Buy train tickets with your passport at stations or in the app to avoid agent fees.
- Refill water bottles at guesthouse filters instead of buying plastic bottles.
- Take the slow boat with other travellers to share costs to the Pak Ou caves.
- Carry small kip notes; change for large notes is scarce in markets.
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Common questions
Can you travel Laos on a budget?
Easily. Guesthouses, night-market food and cheap trains keep costs to about ₭630,000 a day.
How do I get to Kuang Si Falls cheaply?
Share a tuk-tuk or minivan from Luang Prabang with other travellers and agree the price first; entry is about ₭60,000.
Is the slow boat worth it?
Yes for scenery. The short trip to the Pak Ou caves costs about ₭100,000–150,000 per person on a shared boat.