Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $817 a month against $889 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Lae

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 Lae actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Da Nang vs $817 in Lae, rent included.

Da Nang $889
Lae $817

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Da Nang vs $1,470 in Lae, rent included.

Da Nang $1,426
Lae $1,470

A family of three spends $1,963 per month in Da Nang vs $2,123 in Lae, rent included.

Da Nang $1,963
Lae $2,123

Da Nang costs about 9% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Da Nang and Lae are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 35% lower, Lae 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.1K

$23.60 PGK 103

-90.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.6K

$50.5 PGK 219

-61.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.1K

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$2.66 PGK 11.57

-38.35%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$0.74 PGK 3.23

-18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,912

$0.57 PGK 2.47

-40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$3.22 PGK 14.01

-58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$5.10 PGK 22.13

-53.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.98 PGK 8.62

-19.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.1K

$1.45 PGK 6.28

-17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.24 PGK 5.39

-15.32%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$3.96 PGK 17.18

-61.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫331.1K

$9.41 PGK 40.86

36.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.6K

$9.06 PGK 39.35

-53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.9K

$10.59 PGK 45.99

-11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.3K

$4.30 PGK 18.67

-39.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.4K

$2.69 PGK 11.68

-55.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$5.87 PGK 25.50

-78.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.50 PGK 6.53

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$3.37 PGK 14.62

-64.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$2.34 PGK 10.14

-44.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$0.64 PGK 2.80

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$0.85 PGK 3.70

-42.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$6.75 PGK 29.32

-77.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.9K

$12.26 PGK 53.2

-34.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$2.59 PGK 11.27

-64.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.4K

$4.34 PGK 18.87

-49.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,702

$0.31 PGK 1.37

-3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.03 PGK 4.46

-11.65%

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

$30.8K ₫796.3M

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

$28.4K ₫733.1M

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

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

$6.35 ₫164.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫215.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫699.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.4K

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫87.0K

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

$423 ₫10.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫390.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫717.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

$436 PGK 1,892

27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

$260 PGK 1,131

41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

$1,227 PGK 5,328

0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

$619 PGK 2,690

32.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$156 PGK 676

133.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Da Nang versus $436 in Lae. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Da Nang are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang versus $50 in Lae. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $303 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

3 h ahead of Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

250,948

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, 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).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.84 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Lae 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Lae

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 Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Da Nang, $817 in Lae – Lae comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Da Nang and $1,225 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $436 there versus $553 in Da Nang.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang and $50 in Lae. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $889 in Da Nang and $817 in Lae. That makes Lae about 8% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $889 in Da Nang and $817 in Lae. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Lae to $889 in Da Nang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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