Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cam Pha and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Pha: $800 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Cam Pha
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Cam Pha 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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Cam Pha

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$800

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in Cam Pha versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Cam Pha $800
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,249 in Cam Pha versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Cam Pha $1,249
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,697 in Cam Pha versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Cam Pha $1,697
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Cam Pha costs roughly 7% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cam Pha 41% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₫52.9K

$1.98 ₫51.3K

3.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.19 ₫600.5K

$23.14 ₫599.0K

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.30 ₫111.4K

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₫49.5K

$1.86 ₫48.1K

2.69%

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

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$0.51 ₫13.3K

1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,600

$0.32 ₫8,191

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₫50.3K

$1.71 ₫44.4K

13.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₫29.0K

$1.09 ₫28.3K

2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₫19.3K

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-29.52%

Eggs

$1.44 ₫37.2K

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 ₫313.3K

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ₫97.1K

$3.58 ₫92.6K

4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₫252.8K

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-7.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 ₫89.5K

$2.97 ₫76.9K

16.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ₫35.9K

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.9K

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-12.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.0K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ₫15.1K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-20.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.6K

$1.28 ₫33.0K

7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 ₫325.8K

$12.46 ₫322.5K

0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₫24.7K

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.48 ₫38.3K

12.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,895

$0.26 ₫6,704

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.44 ₫192.6K

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-34.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₫20.3K

$0.68 ₫17.7K

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 ₫59.4K

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-23.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.4K

$0.91 ₫23.5K

3.30%

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

$30.5K ₫789.0M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-0.30%

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

$28.7K ₫742.3M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-2.35%

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

$85.0 ₫2.2M

$104 ₫2.7M

-18.12%

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

$5.15 ₫133.3K

$5.79 ₫149.9K

-11.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 ₫231.1K

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-14.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.75 ₫588.9K

$26.08 ₫675.1K

-12.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.07 ₫209.0K

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-32.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 ₫119.5K

$3.89 ₫100.7K

18.77%

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

$190 ₫4.9M

$440 ₫11.4M

-56.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ₫354.2M

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-43.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.66 ₫1.3M

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-4.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.67 ₫690.4K

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 ₫2.2M

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 ₫2.1M

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₫12.1M

$582 ₫15.1M

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₫7.4M

$297 ₫7.7M

-4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 ₫21.8M

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-35.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ₫14.3M

$727 ₫18.8M

-23.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 ₫61.6M

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-50.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 ₫36.0M

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-24.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 Cam Pha: October 19, 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.

Accommodation & Living

Cam Pha

$284 35.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 4.5% $13

Groceries & Markets

Cam Pha

$201 25.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 3.4% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Cam Pha

$108 13.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 14.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cam Pha

$99 12.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 21.2% $21

Eating Out

Cam Pha

$65 8.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cam Pha

$32 4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 5.9% $1.9

Getting Around

Cam Pha

$12 1.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 33.3% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Cam Pha and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cam Pha vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $208 per month, with Cam Pha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Cam Pha

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

Same time as Cam Pha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,137

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

Cam Pha Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cam Pha
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

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

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,201 in Cam Pha and $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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: $466 in Cam Pha versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 54% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $190 in Cam Pha versus $440 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $800 in Cam Pha versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Pha but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Cam Pha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Pha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $800 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Pha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cam Pha 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 Cam Pha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.