Retire Early Cheap $1185 Month Luang Prabang Laos

In this report, I will share the estimated costs to retire early for $1185 a Month in Luang Prabang, Laos, including rent, utilities, groceries, restaurants, transportation, and other expenses. I will also share a more typical middle-range living cost estimate.

As I share what I’ve learned with my feet on the ground here, I’ll show you the pictures I took of this lovely city. My last visit to Luang Prabang was 9 years ago. Qiang was not with me on this trip. She went home to visit her niece and nephew.

Google Map

Like most of the world, the national boundaries of what is now known as Laos have been redrawn over thousands of years, as have its forms of government.

Luang Prabang was assigned its present name by the Khmer King of Cambodia in 1359. The Khmer King gave Luang Prabang to his son-in-law to spread Theravada Buddhism in the new kingdom.

Theravada Buddhism teaches that Buddha knew he was a man, not a god. And that Buddha’s goal was for all people to achieve what he did during his life, the liberation from suffering caused by the human mind. Many in the West now call this state of being present moment awareness.

The name Luang Prabang has lasted until today despite continued internal and external conflicts with Vietnam, France, Japan, the USA, and others. During the French Colonial period, from 1893 to 1953, Luang Prabang was the capital.

During the Vietnam War, Laos became the most heavily bombed country per capita in World History. In 2016, the US acknowledged that the bombs were trying to interrupt the military supply lines to the North Vietnamese along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

During the French Colonial period, Luang Prabang became a center of French culture and food. As you wander around this beautiful city, you’ll see, feel, and taste the French influence.

The French bread and architecture have been mostly preserved in Luang Prabang. For that reason, Luang Prabang has been honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique and well-preserved city center since 1995.

I will share my retirement desirability factors, such as Visa, Medical, Walkability, Internet, Food, Weather, Things to Do, Social considerations, Expat Community, Real Estate, and my Overall Retirement Desirability Score.

But first, I want to share my estimated costs of living converted into US dollars if the two of us moved to Luang Prabang year-round on a tight budget. But I will also include more typical middle-range expenses that other expats might spend, so you have a more typical data point.

Estimated Cost to Retire in Luang Prabang, Laos

Rents: I found this 2-bedroom home online today for rent for $200 USD per month for a one-year lease agreement outside the central area. I would want to be closer to the city and would expect to pay around $350 to $500 per month, depending on size and location. If you rent for a shorter period on Airbnb, it would be much more expensive.

Other middle-range expats would typically pay more like $650 to $800 per month, depending on area and size.

Here is the process we use to find great apartments. So, we will show you a table of all expenses in a moment. We will use $400 per month for our lower rent estimate and $750 per month for the middle cost of living rent estimate for expats who want a little better place.

If you are willing to drive a scooter or car 15 to 30 minutes outside of central, you could easily save 20 to 30%.

Utilities: We estimate that the year-round average for our utilities would be about $60 USD per month. The utilities would cost more for the larger space, starting at around $90 USD per month.

By the way, you don’t need to take notes. The full written report is at the first link in the notes below this video.

Groceries: When possible, we would purchase fruits and vegetables from the public markets, small shops, and street vendors to save money. But we would also shop in grocery stores for nonperishable foods and other things like shampoo and detergents. We estimate about $350 per month for groceries. Other expats are likely to shop more often in expensive grocery stores often spending more than $500 per month on groceries.

Restaurants: We would eat out twice per week, mostly in more local-style restaurants a few blocks back from the tourist areas for about $5 to $8 USD per meal per person and one or two splurges per month of $12 to 18 USD per meal per person. If you add all that up, we would spend around $280 per month for the two of us in restaurants. We may have a beer here and there, but that is covered below in alcohol.

Other expats are likely to eat more often at expensive expat-style restaurants and less in local-style restaurants, so they would likely spend more like $400 per month for 2 people in restaurants. It is lifestyle-dependent.

Cell Phone Data: The cost to get a prepaid SIM card for your unlocked phone with about 15 GB of data is about $12 USD per month.

Other expat couples are likely to buy two prepaid SIM cards, so they would send $24 USD per month.

Laundry: We sent laundry out for wash, dry, and fold for about $6 per week, so $25.00 per month.

Drinking Water: 18-liter water bottles cost about 20k Kip each or about $1 USD each. We would drink about 6 of those per month or $6 USD.

Internet: 80 MBPS up and down is about $22 USD for in-home wifi.

Transportation: Public transportation costs about $60 USD per person. But we would probably buy an old scooter for about $800 and spend about $30 a month in gas. Other expats might buy a small car for around $4000 and spend about $70 per month in gas.

Alcohol (Optional): Domestic beer, Beerlao in the convenience stores are 16k kip (or $0.75 USD and double or triple that in bars and restaurants. So, we estimate about $100 per month on alcohol for the two of us.

Many other expats would spend a higher amount for imported foreign or craft beers in convenience stores, bars, and restaurants, so we estimate about $250 USD per month for two people, assuming they do not drink imported whiskey or wine.

Entertainment (Optional): We would budget about $200 per month for entertainment for the two of us. We generally enjoy doing more do-it-yourself kinds of entertainment, so other expats would spend a little more, maybe $300 per month, for 2 of them?

Estimated Costs Retire in Luang Prabang

Brindisi

Italy

Lower

(USD)

Middle

(USD)

Rent

400

750

Utilities

60

90

Groceries

350

500

Restaurants

280

400

Cell Data

12

24

Laundry

25

25

Drinking Water

6

6

Internet

22

22

Transportation

30

70

Total

$1185

$1887

 

 

 

Alcohol

100

250

Optional Total

$1285

$2137

 

 

 

Entertainment

200

300

Optional Total

$1385

$2437

I gathered this data with my feet on the ground here in March of 2025, so adjust for inflation after that. The above lower estimated cost of living would be if the two of us lived in Luang Prabang on a tight budget, but we are not typical. The middle estimate is just an example of what more typical expats might spend if they moved here.

However, these examples of the cost of living are not your estimated costs of living here.

To understand what it would cost you to live here, you must put your feet on the ground here, see how you would choose to live, eat, and entertain yourself, and add it all up. It doesn’t matter what anyone else spends because we are all different.

More typical expat living costs in Luang Prabang range from about $1500 to $2800 per month. But people spending that much often have higher savings, incomes, or pensions. They often report spending more on accommodations, entertainment, eating out more, traveling, and alcohol. Many also have more expensive cars, houses, or apartments.

So, what would it cost you to live in Luang Prabang?

To get a better understanding of things, you should add to our estimated cost of living, watch this video: 9 Reasons You Can’t Retire You Can’t Retire Cheap Overseas.

Most people will likely be unable to retire on the lower range estimate above. I give example reasons in this report. Plus, this other report explains how to avoid coming home early with your tail between your legs.

Also, if you are going to try to retire cheap offshore, make sure to read my report, the Two Biggest Risks of Retiring Early for Cheap Offshore, which explains why you should have emergency funds available for unexpectedly large expenses.

You should also add anything to the above table that you spend money on in your home country that is not listed in the above table. Presumably, you find those things necessary in life. To do that, visit the Numbeo Luang Prabang and add anything not mentioned in the above table. Anything not on Numbeo you should add during your exploratory visit before moving to Brindisi.

Never move anywhere until you have visited first personally to verify the living costs for your lifestyle and needs. I am not guaranteeing these prices. These are just my notes and estimates from the time of my visit and this post. Your costs will likely be drastically different.

Many of the expats we meet living overseas are self-insured for medical care. That means that not everyone buys health insurance when they move overseas. That probably sounds crazy to many of you.

I didn’t carry medical insurance for most of my first 17 years living overseas. But last year I bought medical insurance. If you are wondering what my insurance costs and what it covers, watch my medical insurance video at this link. This is not an affiliate link.

Luang Prabang Livability Factors

Before you move anywhere outside your home country, make sure to create a list of things that you must have for your happy retirement. Here are my livability factors, and I will rank each as high, medium, or low before assigning an overall retirement desirability score to Luang Prabang.

Walkability: High. I walked everywhere in Luang Prabang. Because it is the former capital of Laos during the French colonial period, and because it has been so well preserved, I really enjoyed walking everywhere. Plus, walking is the healthiest way to stay in shape as we age.

Internet: High. The in-home wifi in my guest house was 58 MBPS down and 42 MBPS up. Good enough for me to do Zoom calls and upload YouTube videos. My cell phone works well as a hotspot whenever I need connectivity for my computer outside my home.

Food: Medium. Luang Prabang was our third stop in Laos. And it seemed to have more international tourists, which has pushed prices up in restaurants compared to touristy cities visited in Laos. Consequently, there are many international restaurant choices, but the prices seem 20 to 30% higher.

You can still find some local dishes in local family-owned restaurants with reasonable prices. You will find those a few blocks back from the main tourist areas.

Weather: Medium. Daily highs average from 82°F (28C) in December up to 96°F (36C) in April. Nightly lows average from 58°F (14C) in January to 75°F (24C) in June. The best weather is from November to March. The rainy season lasts from May to October, with August typically receiving the most rain.

Things to Do: Medium. Luang Prabang has river cruises, waterfalls, four wheeling around the country in backroads, yoga, martial arts, volunteer development work, fishing, Kayaking, bar hopping, dining, cooking classes, bamboo weaving, mountain biking, coffee shops, people watching, day and night markets, foodie tours, walking, and regional travel to Vietnam, China, Thailand, etc.

Social Considerations: High. English is widely spoken in Luang Prabang. Most tourist-facing businesses have English speakers, especially in central Luang Prabang. If you intend on retiring here, you should learn some common phrases for a fuller life. I have met many expats overseas who have used Duolingo, a free language learning smartphone application, to learn various languages.

Safety Considerations: All of the expats we met living in and around Luang Prabang say that they feel perfectly safe here. The US State Department issues travel advisories for each part of the world, which you should be aware of. Laos is level 2 right now, “Exercise Increased Caution.” The advisory mentions parts of Laos where exercise increased caution is advised, but Luang Prabang was not listed in the advisory at the time of this report. Laos is ranked 49th on the Global Peace Index for 2024, which is much safer than the USA, which is ranked 132nd in the World. Here are my thoughts on how to remain safe all over the world.

Expat Community: There are a couple of Facebook pages that cater to expats living in Laos or Luang Prabang: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Make sure to respect people’s time by searching for questions already asked and answered before typing your questions. Expats use these pages to make friends, find doctors, find visa agents, find rentals, find restaurants, and people with common hobbies.

Medical: I have not been to the clinic or hospital in Luang Prabang. But an expat there gave me the name of this clinic for daily care, Phakan Arocavet Clinic. There are also two hospitals listed in Luang Prabang: 1, 2. As usual, Hospitals in a town this size may not have the advanced care you could expect in Vientiane, Bangkok, or Hanoi. In that case, they may just stabilize you for transfer to the appropriate facility.

If you decide to move here, make sure to ask around for referrals and establish relationships with doctors for your special needs based on the feedback you have gotten from others who have used their services. The above Expats Facebook pages may be a good source for that information.

Also, the best insurance prices and coverage are often local. Get a few quotes from local insurance agents you find by asking expats on the Facebook pages mentioned above.

Tourist Visa: High. In general, Americans and most other Westerners need a visa to enter Laos. But, they can apply for a 30-day visa on arrival at certain airports and border crossings (bring visa-sized photos and $50 USD in cash), or apply for an eVisa online before your trip. They can also apply for a 30-day extension. For a visa on arrival, I brought both proof of exit tickets and accommodations ready to show officials upon entry, but they did not ask to see either.

Retirement Visa: Laos does not have a retirement visa. But it does offer long-stay visa options that are suitable for retirees and other long-term visitors. These visas can be renewed annually and offer a way for foreigners to stay in Laos for extended periods.

Every expat I met holding a long-stay visa had used visa agents recommended by other expats who had used them. The total of government fees and agent fees expats shared with me ranged from about $400 to $600 USD. Rather than promoting any particular immigration lawyer, I would request a referral to a visa agent on one of the Expat Facebook pages I shared above.

Real Estate: Foreigners can not own land in Laos. However, foreigners can lease land with structures or leaseland and build for decades with the right to extend the lease period. Personally, I would not recommend putting down such permanent roots in a foreign country until you have lived there for a few years, making sure you love it after the honeymoon period. I would also hire a lawyer who has no conflict of interest with me. Do not use a lawyer recommended by your real estate broker or your local lover. I would seek a referral from an expat who has used that lawyer’s services successfully.

Luang Prabang Overall Retirement Desirability Score: High. I love this city. Its colonial-era charms remain relatively intact over the decades. It has that beautiful walking lifestyle that Europe excels at which is missing from many parts of the world.

Luang Prabang Old Town Walking Tour

Make sure to get a good idea of the colonial-era architecture in Luang Prabang. Click this Google Map and take this beautiful 55-minute walk.

Google Map

Where we stayed in Luang Prabang (and Transfers)

I stayed at this bed and breakfast for $28 USD/night, including taxes and fees, because I wanted to be within walking distance of everything in Central Luang Prabang. If we moved here and signed a long-term lease, I would expect to pay $400 to $600 USD per month for a furnished 1-bedroom apartment with a kitchen.

In Luang Prabang, Loca is the most popular and recommended taxi app, similar to Grab or Uber in other countries.

How I got to Luang Prabang

I flew to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, from Bangkok on AirAsia. I investigated Vientiane for retirement for about a week, but I am not writing a retire chap report about it. I just don’t think it is desirable enough to recommend for retirement.

I took the train from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, Laos. I spent about 5 days in Vang Vieng before taking the train from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang. I am not recommending Vang Vieng for retirement either. But it is a great place to go for a 4-day weekend while you are doing your exploratory visit to Luang Prabang. More on that below.

Luang Prabang Restaurants, Services, Markets

Restaurants (1 USD = 21,727 Kip)

Bars and Nightlife

Services/Markets:

Kuang Si Falls Day Trip

The must-see waterfalls in Luang Prabang are the Kuang Si Falls. Only three places I have been in the world with faoos this beautiful, so they are a must-see. A shared van to Kuang Si Falls from Luang Prabang costs approximately 100,000 Lao Kip per person.

Just head to this intersection in the morning around 9 AM and ask any of the drivers there in the shared vans if you can join any group to Kuan Si Falls, and ask how much it costs round-trip. It takes about an hour to get there, two hours to see the falls, and one hour back.

Vang Vieng 4-Day Weekend

Vang Vieng is sort of a party town where younger tourists go to enjoy activities like floating down the river in an inner tube, driving quads, dirt bikes, hot air balloon rides, and ultralight flights. I really enjoyed it when I was in Laos 9 years ago.

Floating down the river in an inner tube is a fantastic experience. You go in a group and stop at bars along the river and drink with the people in the random group they put you in. I was the old guy in the group, at least 30 years senior to anyone else.

But they welcomed me into the group and were very friendly. The tour only costs about $5 USD, including the van driving you upstream and your inner tube. Once again, it was a total blast, and the scenery is out of this world.

I got my train tickets here, round-trip, and I stayed in this hotel for about $25 USD per night. They also have a great nightlife, so you will have a really good time. Here are some of my favorite restaurants and bars in Vang Vieng.

Restaurants (1 USD = 21,727 Kip)

Nightlife

Guest Stars Luan Prabang