Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ca Mau and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Ca Mau: $733 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ca Mau
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Ca Mau 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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Ca Mau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$733

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $733 per month in Ca Mau vs $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Ca Mau $733
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850

A couple spends around $1,201 per month in Ca Mau vs $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Ca Mau $1,201
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386

A family of three spends $1,669 per month in Ca Mau vs $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Ca Mau $1,669
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921

Ca Mau is about 14% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ca Mau and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Ca Mau 46% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 ₫57.3K

$2.13 ₫54.8K

4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.03 ₫464.5K

$23.43 ₫603.7K

-23.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.72 ₫95.7K

$4.55 ₫117.1K

-18.24%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ₫38.6K

$1.78 ₫45.9K

-15.73%

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

$0.52 ₫13.3K

$0.53 ₫13.6K

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,785

$0.32 ₫8,213

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₫23.9K

$1.08 ₫27.8K

-13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₫35.0K

$1.69 ₫43.6K

-19.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₫40.1K

$1.66 ₫42.8K

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₫24.2K

$1.19 ₫30.6K

-21.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₫23.6K

$1.03 ₫26.4K

-10.68%

Eggs

$1.43 ₫36.9K

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-14.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 ₫272.8K

$12.24 ₫315.2K

-13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ₫86.3K

$3.54 ₫91.1K

-5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 ₫247.7K

$10.25 ₫264.1K

-6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.6K

$3.11 ₫80.2K

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.22 ₫31.5K

-13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ₫36.0K

$1.43 ₫37.0K

-2.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.2K

$1.22 ₫31.5K

-4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.2K

$1.20 ₫30.9K

-18.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₫34.5K

$1.20 ₫31.0K

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.52 ₫13.5K

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 ₫39.4K

$1.23 ₫31.6K

24.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 ₫223.6K

$11.55 ₫297.6K

-24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫22.9K

$0.93 ₫24.0K

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₫42.6K

$1.48 ₫38.0K

11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,818

$0.28 ₫7,233

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.64 ₫196.9K

$11.62 ₫299.2K

-34.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₫20.2K

$0.76 ₫19.5K

3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₫13.8K

$0.62 ₫15.8K

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₫63.1K

$3.12 ₫80.3K

-21.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.2K

$0.90 ₫23.3K

4.44%

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

$32.3K ₫833.3M

$30.9K ₫796.1M

4.67%

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

$24.4K ₫628.0M

$29.6K ₫762.3M

-17.61%

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

$77.9 ₫2.0M

$99.8 ₫2.6M

-21.98%

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

$5.14 ₫132.5K

$5.75 ₫148.1K

-10.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.54 ₫194.1K

$10.29 ₫265.0K

-26.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.34 ₫524.0K

$18.18 ₫468.3K

11.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.88 ₫202.9K

$12.16 ₫313.2K

-35.20%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 ₫73.9K

$3.90 ₫100.4K

-26.41%

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

$372 ₫9.6M

$530 ₫13.7M

-29.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₫379.6M

$26.6K ₫686.2M

-44.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.95 ₫1.2M

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 ₫645.0K

$34.88 ₫898.5K

-28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 ₫2.3M

$95.1 ₫2.5M

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 ₫1.7M

$95.5 ₫2.5M

-29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₫10.7M

$617 ₫15.9M

-32.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₫6.7M

$297 ₫7.7M

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 ₫17.2M

$1,311 ₫33.8M

-49.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₫16.1M

$708 ₫18.2M

-11.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,345 ₫60.4M

$4,430 ₫114.1M

-47.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 ₫35.1M

$2,011 ₫51.8M

-32.30%

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 Ca Mau: October 31, 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

Ca Mau

$258 35.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35% 15.1% $39

Groceries & Markets

Ca Mau

$185 25.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1% 10.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ca Mau

$103 14%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7% 21.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ca Mau

$91 12.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6% 28% $25

Eating Out

Ca Mau

$58 7.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6% 11.3% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ca Mau

$26 3.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1% 0.4% $0.1

Getting Around

Ca Mau

$12 1.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 34.4% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Ca Mau 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 $18 in Ca Mau versus $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $205 – making Ca Mau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ca Mau

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Ca Mau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,372

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

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

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,100 per month in Ca Mau 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 Ca Mau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Public transport costs about 34% less in Ca Mau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $372 per month in Ca Mau and $530 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $733 in Ca Mau and $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ca Mau – 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, Ca Mau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.