Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $2,174 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Ames, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Da Nang versus $2,174 in Ames, IA.

Da Nang $889
Ames, IA $2,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Da Nang versus $3,216 in Ames, IA.

Da Nang $1,426
Ames, IA $3,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,963 in Da Nang versus $4,258 in Ames, IA.

Da Nang $1,963
Ames, IA $4,258

Living in Da Nang costs roughly 59% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Da Nang is 35% below, Ames, IA is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.1K

$17.89 $17.89

-87.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.6K

$52.5 $52.5

-62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.1K

$11.92 $11.92

-62.00%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$4.97 $4.97

-67.00%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$2.60 $2.60

-76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,912

$2.28 $2.28

-85.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$4.12 $4.12

-67.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$6.88 $6.88

-65.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$0.83 $0.83

92.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.1K

$3.59 $3.59

-66.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$3.22 $3.22

-67.39%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$3.41 $3.41

-55.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫331.1K

$10.31 $10.31

24.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.6K

$13.47 $13.47

-69.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.9K

$19.03 $19.03

-50.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.3K

$5.93 $5.93

-56.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.4K

$1.82 $1.82

-33.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$6.64 $6.64

-80.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$5.21 $5.21

-69.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$4.53 $4.53

-73.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$4.16 $4.16

-68.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$2.33 $2.33

-55.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$2.43 $2.43

-79.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$10.15 $10.15

-85.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.9K

$16.29 $16.29

-51.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$2.79 $2.79

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.4K

$5.05 $5.05

-56.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,702

$1.01 $1.01

-70.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.9K

$35.22 $35.22

-82.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

$5.12 $5.12

-79.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

$1.72 $1.72

-66.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.7K

$24.02 $24.02

-19.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.93 $0.93

-2.15%

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

$30.8K ₫796.3M

$26.1K $26.1K

17.93%

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

$28.4K ₫733.1M

$25.6K $25.6K

11.07%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$182 $182

-56.83%

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

$6.35 ₫164.1K

$55.9 $55.9

-88.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫215.2K

$70.3 $70.3

-88.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫699.4K

$69.4 $69.4

-60.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.4K

$19.80 $19.80

-73.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫87.0K

$14.77 $14.77

-77.18%

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

$423 ₫10.9M

$1,356 $1,356

-68.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫390.0M

$35.9K $35.9K

-57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

$58.7 $58.7

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫717.0K

$43.33 $43.33

-35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

$89.9 $89.9

12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

$107 $107

-22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

$1,010 $1,010

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

$850 $850

-56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

$1,783 $1,783

-31.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

$1,416 $1,416

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.6M

$2,677 $2,677

44.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.5M

$2,131 $2,131

-11.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$3,671 $3,671

-90.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

6.41

67.24%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Ames, IA

$851 39.1% 130% $481

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Ames, IA

$436 20.1% 118% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 16.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Ames, IA

$308 14.2% 231% $215

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Ames, IA

$292 13.5% 344% $227

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Ames, IA

$99 4.6% 193% $65

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Ames, IA

$53 2.4% 366% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $553 in Da Nang and $1,010 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Da Nang vs $52 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $436 per month, with Da Nang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

17:57 5:57 PM

12 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

66,427

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Ames, IA 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Ames, IA

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

Da Nang vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Nang wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Da Nang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Da Nang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $553 in Da Nang versus $1,010 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Da Nang runs roughly 82% less than in Ames, IA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $423 in Da Nang versus $1,356 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $889 in Da Nang versus $2,174 in Ames, IA, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Da Nang but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. 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 59% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.