What a Solo Traveler Spent in Laos for One Month

I always find it useful to see what other people spent on their travels, especially if they’re full-time nomads. And since I find those types of posts useful, I of course want to put my own travel budget out there!

I spent 28 days traveling in Laos from October 4-28, 2023. I was on a medium-budget style backpacking trip in Laos, partly because I got sick halfway through and wanted private rooms to recuperate. Also, after 8 months of traveling in Asia, I’d started to crave Western food a lot. Both those things increased my spending!

In general, my overall budget for 2023 was $1,500/month. I’m a cozy budget traveler, so while I spend a bit more to feel more comfortable when I travel, if you’re a shoestring or luxury traveler you can definitely adjust for your own style of spending.

I barely squeaked under my budget in Laos, but I would’ve had a bit more wiggle room if I stuck to hostel dorm rooms and eating local food. That said, I did spend quite a bit on tourist experiences, but they were totally worth it so I don’t regret doing it.

So here’s my budget! I kept track of everything, including accommodation, food, activities and extra stuff like SIM cards. All prices are in USD.

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Accommodation: $550 USD

My stays were split between hostel dorms and private rooms/hotel rooms. In general, you can get a hostel room for under $7/night and a nice hotel for under $20. Fancier hotels go upwards of $35+.

The cheapest stay was Tony Central Hostel in Luang Prabang for a mere $3/night WITH free breakfast. It wasn’t very comfortable (they only have large co-ed dorms), but the breakfast was good and the staff were very efficient.

The most expensive stay was Phongsavath Boutique Hotel in Vientiane for $35/night with fresh cooked-to-order breakfast included. I really liked this hotel and neighborhood it was in, and the staff were really kind.

The place with the best coffee was definitely Barn 1920s Hostel in Vientiane. Every guest got to choose a made-to-order coffee from the attached cafe as part of their included breakfast, including the fancy stuff. Delicious!

For a complete list of where I stayed in Laos, check out this post: Where to stay: Laos hostels & hotel for solo female travelers!

Groceries: $0

Laos is one of those places where you can eat out every day and not spend too much money, so it’s basically cheaper just to do that rather than buy groceries. Also, while many of the hostels had a kitchen for guests, it was usually tiny and un-airconditioned, so cooking in them would be a somewhat uncomfortable experience.

So I didn’t buy any groceries! I honestly didn’t need to, as most places had free breakfast, and lunch/dinner were relatively inexpensive (as you’ll see soon). I could’ve definitely saved a bit more money if I made my own dinner at the hostels, or if I ate more locally and didn’t keep ordering Western food deliveries all the time.

Food/eating out: $352 USD

Elephant at the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury

It seems like a lot, especially compared to how much I usually spend when I have my own kitchen and buy groceries, but actually it’s only about $9.30/day! For three meals including alcohol! Not bad, huh? And a lot of those meals were at proper restaurants, too, not just eating hunched over in my hotel room.

Here’s some of my favorite restaurants I ate at in Laos:

Luang Prabang

Bamboo Tree Restaurant — excellent local food made slightly fancy. They also have a cooking school where you can learn to make local food!
Joma Bakery Café — bagel sandwiches! I liked this place so much that I ate at every branch I could find, including the one in Hanoi.
Phonheuang Cafe — local place near Garavak Storytelling; good basic food at better prices than some tourist places nearby.
Popolo Restaurant — good pizza, great decor and nice staff.
Yuni Yupoun — fun fusion place with nice decor; they have drink specials for an excellent price as well.
Zurich Bread Factory & Cafe — another pizza place, with imported flour so it tasted closer to what I’m used to.

Laotian Cookbook: Traditional Recipes from Laos

Phonsavan

Nisha Restaurant — Indian restaurant, family owned. Very good food and located right next to the MAG UXO Visitor Center. Looks like they might be closed now (2025).
Xiengloei Cafe — local place with good food at great prices!

Vientiane

Bacan Cafe Vientiane — a Chilean restaurant run by a Chilean expat and his Laotian family! Truly excellent food, highly recommended.
Sailomyen Cafe — I actually stayed in the attached hostel, but the food is good, too!

As for beer: I discovered Beerlao while floating down the Mekong River and fell in love with its gentle hops taste. At only about $1/can (or less), it’s a great deal for those who enjoy alcohol.

Tourism: $314 USD

Most of this was spent on one specific excursion (the Elephant Conservation Center), which technically also covered my accommodation and food costs for the days I was there. I had a lot of fun doing tourist stuff in Laos and I’d love to go back and do some more– I really only explored the northern part of the country, after all!

Here’s some of what I did in Laos:

If you’re interested in ecotourism, Laos is on the cusp of a booming tourist industry. There’s lots of wonderful things to do, and it’s not as well-visited as its neighbors Vietnam and Thailand yet. I recommend getting over there and seeing what’s available ASAP!

Transit: $88 USD

Most ground transit is cheap, but uncomfortable. For instance, I took a bus from Luang Prabang to Phonsavan for $13 and it wasn’t that great of an experience. The local airline is cheap and reliable, and the major cities are well-connected. I ended up flying from Phonsavan to Vientiane rather than chance the roads again.

That said, the roads between Vientiane and Vang Vieng are new and well-maintained, and the tourist vans between the two cities are comfortable.

Shopping: $52 USD

Learning how to pull silk at the Mulberries Farm in Phonsavan

I bought a few souvenirs, mostly local-made things like silk scarves from the Mulberries farm and some handmade items from the TAEC Boutique in Luang Prabang. I also bought some clothes, but tbh they felt cheaply made and slightly expensive for what they were.

Medical: $52 USD

I had a monthly insurance policy with SafetyWing. I haven’t had to actually use them so I can’t vouch for anything other than affordability, but I prefer having it just in case I need it.

Other money spent this month was on cough medicine and throat lozenges, plus bug spray.

Other (laundry, postage, visa, etc.): $94 USD

View from hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng

A 30 day visa for an American passport holder costs $40 USD; I did a visa on arrival and all was well, though we had an iffy moment where one of my $20 bills wasn’t accepted due to a mark on it. They’re VERY picky about that, so make sure your cash is in as good a condition as you can.

All my hostels and hotels had laundry service, which was very affordable at basically $5 USD/load or less. And finally, I got a SIM card at a hostel in Houayxay and it was under $10 USD for a month of data.

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Total Laos Budget (1 Month)

Total spent: $1,435 or $51/day! Not bad!

If you want to compare what I spent in Laos versus other Southeast Asian countries, I have some more budget breakdowns posted here:

A month in Vietnam (actively traveling)
One Month in Da Nang, Vietnam
One Month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
10 months in Asia: Solo female backpacker’s travel budget

What a Solo Traveler Spent in Laos for One Month