Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Iowa City, 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 Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Da Nang vs $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Da Nang $889
Iowa City, IA $2,251

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Da Nang vs $3,264 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Da Nang $1,426
Iowa City, IA $3,264

A family of three spends $1,963 per month in Da Nang vs $4,276 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Da Nang $1,963
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Da Nang is about 61% cheaper than Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Da Nang sits 35% below the global median, while Iowa City, IA is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.0K

$15.12 $15.12

-85.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.0K

$67.3 $67.3

-70.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.0K

$9.03 $9.03

-49.83%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$5.54 $5.54

-70.40%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$2.77 $2.77

-78.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,901

$2.23 $2.23

-84.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$4.86 $4.86

-72.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$7.13 $7.13

-66.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$0.92 $0.92

73.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$2.79 $2.79

-56.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.02 $2.02

-48.02%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.3K

$3.71 $3.71

-59.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫330.7K

$9.43 $9.43

35.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.5K

$10.64 $10.64

-60.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.6K

$19.95 $19.95

-53.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.2K

$3.37 $3.37

-22.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.3K

$1.22 $1.22

-0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$2.65 $2.65

-51.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.5K

$4.87 $4.87

-67.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.98 $1.98

-39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$2.36 $2.36

-44.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.71 $1.71

-39.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$2.38 $2.38

-79.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$10.13 $10.13

-85.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.6K

$13.70 $13.70

-41.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$1.72 $1.72

-45.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.3K

$4.54 $4.54

-51.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,693

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

$3.91 $3.91

-73.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

$1.97 $1.97

-71.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.1K

$43.67 $43.67

-55.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$0.99 $0.99

-8.08%

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

$30.8K ₫795.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

13.42%

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

$28.4K ₫732.2M

$25.8K $25.8K

10.08%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$271 $271

-71.07%

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

$6.35 ₫163.9K

$51.5 $51.5

-87.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫214.9K

$81.6 $81.6

-89.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫698.6K

$29.80 $29.80

-9.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.2K

$19.65 $19.65

-72.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫86.8K

$13.86 $13.86

-75.69%

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

$423 ₫10.9M

$1,292 $1,292

-67.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫389.5M

$23.7K $23.7K

-36.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

$64.4 $64.4

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫716.1K

$49.68 $49.68

-44.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

$98.6 $98.6

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

$115 $115

-28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

$1,242 $1,242

-55.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

$1,003 $1,003

-63.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

$1,933 $1,933

-36.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

$1,637 $1,637

-49.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.5M

$3,514 $3,514

9.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.4M

$1,811 $1,811

3.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$3,822 $3,822

-90.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

6.45

66.20%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 172% $634

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 75.7% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 27.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 334% $311

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 315% $207

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 70.2% $24

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 21% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Da Nang versus $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Iowa City, IA are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang versus $67 in Iowa City, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $352 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

16:05 4:05 PM

13 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

74,828

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,920 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Iowa City, IA 13,280 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Iowa City, 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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Da Nang, $2,251 in Iowa City, IA – Da Nang comes out roughly 61% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Da Nang and $3,376 in Iowa City, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $553 there versus $1,242 in Iowa City, IA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $889 in Da Nang and $2,251 in Iowa City, IA. That makes Da Nang about 61% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $423 per month in Da Nang and $1,292 in Iowa City, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Iowa City, IA at $2,251. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iowa City, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Da Nang – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iowa City, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.