Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Austin, TX $2,704
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Austin, TX $4,133
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Austin, TX $5,562
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 216% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$1.90 ₫49.1K

964.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$23.32 ₫603.5K

264.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.67 ₫120.9K

164.45%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.85 ₫47.9K

195.68%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.56 ₫14.4K

582.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.34 ₫8,857

635.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.01 ₫26.2K

698.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.69 ₫43.7K

431.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.04 ₫27.0K

263.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.99 ₫25.7K

228.28%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.60 ₫41.5K

158.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.23 ₫316.6K

6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.54 ₫91.7K

304.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.44 ₫270.2K

52.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.09 ₫79.9K

41.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.26 ₫32.5K

15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.57 ₫40.6K

189.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.26 ₫32.5K

232.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.17 ₫30.4K

124.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.15 ₫29.7K

105.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.72 ₫18.7K

144.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.54 ₫14.0K

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.22 ₫31.5K

704.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.28 ₫317.8K

19.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.98 ₫25.4K

183.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.49 ₫38.5K

133.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.28 ₫7,249

432.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$11.62 ₫300.8K

248.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.73 ₫18.9K

265.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.64 ₫16.7K

146.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.17 ₫82.0K

1013.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.95 ₫24.6K

4.21%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$30.7K ₫795.6M

16.47%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

-11.15%

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

$219 $219

$102 ₫2.6M

114.34%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$5.65 ₫146.1K

926.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$10.52 ₫272.2K

549.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$25.86 ₫669.2K

123.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$11.82 ₫305.9K

25.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$3.39 ₫87.8K

316.81%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$438 ₫11.3M

244.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-7.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$51.5 ₫1.3M

0.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$34.56 ₫894.3K

27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$94.9 ₫2.5M

10.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$577 ₫14.9M

234.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$292 ₫7.6M

335.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,293 ₫33.5M

183.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$717 ₫18.6M

252.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,714 ₫122.0M

61.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,882 ₫48.7M

69.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$486 ₫12.6M

950.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.64

-21.41%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 77% $980

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 49% $197

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 81.8% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 65.7% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 4.8% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 62.1% $54

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 70.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 951% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

19:03 7:03 PM

12 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,456,700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 14,760 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 216% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 951% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 216% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 249% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 216% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.