Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $2,871 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
Learn more

Cary, NC Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index

Jump to prices

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cary, NC and in Da Nang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cary, NC and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,871 in Cary, NC versus $889 in Da Nang.

Cary, NC $2,871
Da Nang $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,202 in Cary, NC versus $1,426 in Da Nang.

Cary, NC $4,202
Da Nang $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,532 in Cary, NC versus $1,963 in Da Nang.

Cary, NC $5,532
Da Nang $1,963

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 223% more expensive than in Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cary, NC is 111% above, Da Nang is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$2.17 ₫56.0K

811.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$19.53 ₫504.0K

416.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 $10.32

$4.53 ₫117.0K

127.81%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$1.64 ₫42.4K

210.37%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$0.60 ₫15.6K

251.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.34 ₫8,901

464.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.33 ₫34.4K

230.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 $6.34

$2.36 ₫61.0K

168.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.60 ₫41.2K

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.20 ₫31.0K

360.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.05 ₫27.1K

461.90%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$1.52 ₫39.3K

178.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.17 $18.17

$12.82 ₫330.7K

41.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$4.17 ₫107.5K

312.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$9.33 ₫240.6K

89.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$2.60 ₫67.2K

130.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.21 ₫31.3K

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.28 ₫33.1K

182.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$1.57 ₫40.5K

325.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.20 ₫31.0K

165.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.31 ₫33.9K

232.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.04 ₫26.9K

172.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.49 ₫12.7K

383.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$1.51 ₫39.0K

554.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 $10.22

$7.97 ₫205.6K

28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.93 ₫24.0K

145.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.18 ₫56.3K

82.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.30 ₫7,693

746.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 $80.9

$6.31 ₫162.7K

1182.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.91 ₫23.4K

-4.40%

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

$30.8K ₫795.4M

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$28.4K ₫732.2M

2.99%

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

$184 $184

$78.5 ₫2.0M

134.03%

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

$48.24 $48.24

$6.35 ₫163.9K

659.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$8.33 ₫214.9K

716.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$27.08 ₫698.6K

184.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 $22.39

$5.32 ₫137.2K

320.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 $15.06

$3.37 ₫86.8K

346.88%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$423 ₫10.9M

246.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫389.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$45.19 ₫1.2M

42.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.17 $32.17

$27.75 ₫716.1K

15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$101 ₫2.6M

18.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$82.8 ₫2.1M

63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$553 ₫14.3M

250.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$369 ₫9.5M

286.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,228 ₫31.7M

114.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$821 ₫21.2M

163.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,869 $2,869

$3,858 ₫99.5M

-25.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,638 $2,638

$1,877 ₫48.4M

40.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,077 $6,077

$362 ₫9.4M

1576.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

10.72

-40.11%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 24, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7%

Da Nang

$369 41.5% 74.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 16.9%

Da Nang

$200 22.5% 58.9% $286

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$301 10.5%

Da Nang

$66 7.4% 78.1% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$300 10.5%

Da Nang

$93 10.5% 68.9% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$158 5.5%

Da Nang

$115 13% 26.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$107 3.7%

Da Nang

$34 3.8% 68.4% $73

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$91 * 3.2%

Da Nang

$11 1.3% 87.5% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,937 in Cary, NC and $553 in Da Nang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Cary, NC vs $20 in Da Nang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $200 per month, with Da Nang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

09:11 9:11 AM

12 h ahead of Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

1,245,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cary, NC Da Nang 14,200 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
Da Nang

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

Cary, NC vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Nang is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cary, NC is about 17 times higher, 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: $1,937 in Cary, NC versus $553 in Da Nang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,466 in Cary, NC versus $423 in Da Nang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $889 in Da Nang versus $2,871 in Cary, NC, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Da Nang but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Da Nang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Da Nang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.