Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buon Ma Thuot and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Buon Ma Thuot: $792 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Buon Ma Thuot
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Buon Ma Thuot Living Index
41

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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Buon Ma Thuot

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$792

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $792 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $792
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $1,182
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386

A family of three spends $1,572 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $1,572
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921

Buon Ma Thuot is about 7% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Buon Ma Thuot and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Buon Ma Thuot 41% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.6K

$2.13 ₫54.7K

-2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.47 ₫295.3K

$23.43 ₫603.4K

-51.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.16 ₫107.1K

$4.55 ₫117.1K

-8.57%

Cappuccino

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$1.78 ₫45.9K

-43.26%

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

$0.34 ₫8,693

$0.53 ₫13.6K

-35.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₫9,771

$0.32 ₫8,210

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.08 ₫27.8K

13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₫33.2K

$1.69 ₫43.6K

-23.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₫43.2K

$1.66 ₫42.8K

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$1.19 ₫30.6K

-16.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.3K

$1.03 ₫26.4K

-27.18%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫37.9K

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ₫344.5K

$12.24 ₫315.1K

9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₫88.8K

$3.54 ₫91.1K

-2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₫268.0K

$10.25 ₫264.0K

1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ₫84.0K

$3.11 ₫80.2K

4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₫28.5K

$1.22 ₫31.5K

-9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.5K

$1.43 ₫36.9K

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.0K

$1.22 ₫31.5K

-7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ₫25.9K

$1.20 ₫30.8K

-15.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ₫26.9K

$1.20 ₫31.0K

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.0K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-24.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$0.52 ₫13.5K

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.23 ₫31.6K

30.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₫218.9K

$11.55 ₫297.5K

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₫19.7K

$0.93 ₫23.9K

-17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₫41.3K

$1.48 ₫38.0K

8.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,285

$0.28 ₫7,230

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.08 ₫156.6K

$11.62 ₫299.1K

-47.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$0.62 ₫15.8K

-17.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₫65.3K

$3.12 ₫80.3K

-18.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₫25.4K

$0.90 ₫23.2K

10.00%

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

$33.3K ₫856.9M

$30.9K ₫795.7M

7.68%

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

$28.7K ₫737.8M

$29.6K ₫761.9M

-3.17%

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

$77.0 ₫2.0M

$99.8 ₫2.6M

-22.87%

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

$5.60 ₫144.3K

$5.75 ₫148.0K

-2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.78 ₫251.8K

$10.29 ₫264.9K

-4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 ₫582.2K

$18.18 ₫468.1K

24.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 ₫219.5K

$12.16 ₫313.0K

-29.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 ₫80.2K

$3.90 ₫100.3K

-20.00%

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

$351 ₫9.0M

$530 ₫13.6M

-33.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ₫402.9M

$26.6K ₫685.9M

-41.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.54 ₫1.2M

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-8.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ₫760.0K

$34.88 ₫898.1K

-15.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 ₫2.2M

$95.1 ₫2.4M

-10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 ₫1.8M

$95.5 ₫2.5M

-27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₫11.3M

$617 ₫15.9M

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₫7.9M

$297 ₫7.7M

3.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 ₫16.6M

$1,311 ₫33.8M

-50.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₫13.8M

$708 ₫18.2M

-24.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 ₫55.0M

$4,430 ₫114.1M

-51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,304 ₫33.6M

$2,011 ₫51.8M

-35.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

8.64

-5.44%

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

Last update for Buon Ma Thuot: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buon Ma Thuot

$307 38.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35% 3.1% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Buon Ma Thuot

$196 24.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1% 4.6% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Buon Ma Thuot

$105 13.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7% 19.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buon Ma Thuot

$92 11.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6% 25.4% $23

Eating Out

Buon Ma Thuot

$53 6.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6% 21.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Buon Ma Thuot

$29 3.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1% 10% $2.9

Getting Around

Buon Ma Thuot

$11 1.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 55.1% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Buon Ma Thuot versus $617 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Buon Ma Thuot versus $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $205 – making Buon Ma Thuot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Buon Ma Thuot

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

Same time as Buon Ma Thuot

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

245,951

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Buon Ma Thuot vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $792 in Buon Ma Thuot, $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Buon Ma Thuot comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,188 per month in Buon Ma Thuot and $1,275 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 Buon Ma Thuot, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $439 there versus $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Buon Ma Thuot and $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $792 in Buon Ma Thuot and $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That makes Buon Ma Thuot about 7% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $792 in Buon Ma Thuot and $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Buon Ma Thuot – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Buon Ma Thuot is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 7% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.