Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dien Bien Phu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu: $770 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Dien Bien Phu
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Dien Bien Phu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Dien Bien Phu

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dien Bien Phu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Dien Bien Phu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $770 in Dien Bien Phu.

Austin, TX $2,663
Dien Bien Phu $770

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,231 in Dien Bien Phu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dien Bien Phu $1,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,692 in Dien Bien Phu.

Austin, TX $5,603
Dien Bien Phu $1,692

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 246% more expensive than in Dien Bien Phu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Dien Bien Phu is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.03 ₫52.6K

923.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.34 ₫500.7K

337.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.39 ₫113.6K

180.64%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.64 ₫42.5K

243.29%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.51 ₫13.1K

629.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.33 ₫8,660

657.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.88 ₫22.7K

814.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.43 ₫37.0K

530.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.49 ₫38.5K

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.05 ₫27.2K

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.94 ₫24.3K

246.81%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.51 ₫39.0K

176.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.24 ₫291.0K

14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.73 ₫96.6K

279.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.86 ₫255.2K

64.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.06 ₫79.3K

41.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 ₫29.0K

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.33 ₫34.5K

239.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.27 ₫32.9K

241.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.07 ₫27.7K

141.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.15 ₫29.7K

104.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.65 ₫16.8K

173.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.50 ₫13.1K

344.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.36 ₫35.2K

626.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.16 ₫314.8K

24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.88 ₫22.9K

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.64 ₫42.5K

110.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ₫8,151

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$6.45 ₫167.1K

546.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.73 ₫18.8K

273.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.61 ₫15.7K

172.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.39 ₫62.0K

1376.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.95 ₫24.7K

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.4K ₫786.3M

18.69%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.4K ₫786.0M

-10.82%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$229 $229

$77.2 ₫2.0M

196.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$5.79 ₫149.9K

925.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$8.56 ₫221.6K

716.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$21.91 ₫567.2K

161.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.83 ₫202.6K

108.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.06 ₫79.3K

366.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$159 ₫4.1M

845.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K ₫320.6M

73.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$45.80 ₫1.2M

15.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.91 ₫670.9K

69.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$83.3 ₫2.2M

1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$79.7 ₫2.1M

29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$413 ₫10.7M

362.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$276 ₫7.2M

361.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$737 ₫19.1M

397.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$607 ₫15.7M

318.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,783 ₫72.0M

173.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,324 ₫34.3M

138.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.46

-19.74%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dien Bien Phu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Dien Bien Phu

$276 35.9% 78.3% $998

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Dien Bien Phu

$197 25.6% 51.3% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Dien Bien Phu

$92 11.9% 74.5% $267

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Dien Bien Phu

$60 7.8% 83.1% $294

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Dien Bien Phu

$106 13.7% 17.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Dien Bien Phu

$28 3.6% 67.3% $58

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Dien Bien Phu

$11 1.5% 80.5% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $413 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $19.00 in Dien Bien Phu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $197 per month, with Dien Bien Phu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇻🇳 Dien Bien Phu

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

12 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

80,366

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Dien Bien Phu 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dien Bien Phu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Dien Bien Phu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dien Bien Phu wins on cost – living expenses run 246% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dien Bien Phu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,154 in Dien Bien Phu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $413 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $770 in Dien Bien Phu – a 246% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dien Bien Phu runs roughly 547% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $770 in Dien Bien Phu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dien Bien Phu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dien Bien Phu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Dien Bien Phu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dien Bien Phu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 246% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.