Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bac Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Ninh: $463 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Bac Ninh
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Bac Ninh 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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Bac Ninh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$463

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bac Ninh 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 Bac Ninh and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $463 per month in Bac Ninh vs $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Bac Ninh $463
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

A couple spends around $750 per month in Bac Ninh vs $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Bac Ninh $750
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

A family of three spends $1,037 per month in Bac Ninh vs $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Bac Ninh $1,037
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Bac Ninh is about 46% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bac Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Bac Ninh 66% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₫29.5K

$1.98 ₫51.3K

-42.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.38 ₫605.3K

$23.14 ₫599.0K

1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.61 ₫67.5K

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-45.17%

Cappuccino

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.86 ₫48.1K

-36.56%

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

$0.28 ₫7,287

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-45.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₫4,275

$0.32 ₫8,191

-46.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 ₫17.7K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₫26.0K

$1.71 ₫44.4K

-41.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₫38.0K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.09 ₫28.3K

-2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-23.81%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.8K

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 ₫266.5K

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₫98.7K

$3.58 ₫92.6K

6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 ₫262.1K

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 ₫88.4K

$2.97 ₫76.9K

14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.0K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ₫34.6K

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-12.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₫24.3K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-21.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫13.9K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.40 ₫36.2K

$1.28 ₫33.0K

9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 ₫331.3K

$12.46 ₫322.5K

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.48 ₫38.3K

12.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₫9,639

$0.26 ₫6,704

42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$0.68 ₫17.7K

17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.7K

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-20.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$0.91 ₫23.5K

-2.20%

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

$30.8K ₫798.4M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

0.88%

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

$29.5K ₫764.5M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

0.57%

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

$86.2 ₫2.2M

$104 ₫2.7M

-16.89%

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

$5.36 ₫138.7K

$5.79 ₫149.9K

-7.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.06 ₫182.8K

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-32.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.40 ₫295.1K

$26.08 ₫675.1K

-56.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.95 ₫205.8K

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-33.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₫79.3K

$3.89 ₫100.7K

-21.34%

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

$691 ₫17.9M

$440 ₫11.4M

57.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ₫320.9M

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-48.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.63 ₫1.3M

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-4.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.80 ₫693.7K

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-23.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 ₫2.1M

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-10.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 ₫2.0M

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 ₫17.7M

$582 ₫15.1M

17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,659 ₫43.0M

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-65.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$762 ₫19.7M

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-58.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 ₫9.9M

$490 ₫12.7M

-21.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

8.64

-4.17%

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

Last update for Bac Ninh: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bac Ninh

$196 42.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 5.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bac Ninh

$107 23%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 16% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bac Ninh

$99 21.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 21.7% $21

Eating Out

Bac Ninh

$38 8.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 67.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Bac Ninh

$18 3.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 93.3% $16

Getting Around

Bac Ninh

$5.1 * 1.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 221% $11

Accommodation & Living

Bac Ninh

- * 0%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $683 in Bac Ninh versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Bac Ninh versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $208 – making Bac Ninh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Bac Ninh

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

Same time as Bac Ninh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,766

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bac Ninh Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bac Ninh
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 86% more than Bac Ninh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $694 per month in Bac Ninh and $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bac Ninh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Bac Ninh and $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bac Ninh, where all-in costs run around $463, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Bac Ninh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bac Ninh costs $463 versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bac Ninh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.