Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Lake Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $863 a month against $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Da Nang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$863
/mo nomad
Lake Macquarie
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,211
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Lake Macquarie

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

A single person spends $863 per month in Da Nang vs $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

  • Da Nang $863
  • Lake Macquarie $2,211

A couple spends around $1,404 per month in Da Nang vs $3,516 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

  • Da Nang $1,404
  • Lake Macquarie $3,516

A family of three spends $1,945 per month in Da Nang vs $4,821 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

  • Da Nang $1,945
  • Lake Macquarie $4,821

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

Da Nang sits 36% below the global median, while Lake Macquarie is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.30 ₫59.5K
$17.09 A$24.48
-86.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.62 ₫508.9K
$85.1 A$122
-76.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.60 ₫119.3K
$10.24 A$14.67
-55.08%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ₫43.1K
$3.58 A$5.13
-53.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₫15.7K
$3.12 A$4.47
-80.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,893
$2.07 A$2.97
-83.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.34 ₫34.6K
$7.07 A$10.12
-81.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₫61.2K
$7.10 A$10.17
-66.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 ₫41.6K
$1.15 A$1.65
39.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 ₫31.4K
$1.45 A$2.08
-16.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.00 ₫26.0K
$1.61 A$2.31
-37.89%
Eggs
$1.51 ₫39.1K
$3.13 A$4.48
-51.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 ₫334.5K
$7.95 A$11.39
62.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.29 ₫111.3K
$7.47 A$10.70
-42.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.06 ₫235.0K
$12.57 A$18.01
-27.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 ₫70.8K
$3.01 A$4.32
-9.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 ₫30.9K
$2.57 A$3.69
-53.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.29 ₫33.4K
$2.54 A$3.64
-49.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 ₫41.4K
$3.73 A$5.35
-57.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 ₫30.5K
$2.29 A$3.28
-48.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 ₫34.4K
$2.08 A$2.98
-36.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₫26.1K
$1.71 A$2.46
-40.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₫13.7K
$1.59 A$2.27
-66.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.56 ₫40.4K
$28.25 A$40.47
-94.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.93 ₫205.6K
$8.05 A$11.53
-1.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₫22.9K
$2.80 A$4.02
-68.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 ₫55.0K
$2.27 A$3.25
-6.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 ₫8,196
$2.58 A$3.70
-87.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.99 ₫129.5K
$80.5 A$115
-93.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 ₫27.2K
$2.11 A$3.02
-50.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 ₫14.3K
$3.10 A$4.44
-82.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.50 ₫505.7K
$58.4 A$83.7
-66.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 ₫24.5K
$1.38 A$1.97
-31.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K ₫800.6M
$27.6K A$39.6K
11.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K ₫725.9M
$24.7K A$35.4K
13.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.6 ₫2.0M
$231 A$331
-66.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.47 ₫167.9K
$10.95 A$15.69
-40.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.08 ₫209.5K
$41.65 A$59.7
-80.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.98 ₫647.7K
$54.6 A$78.3
-54.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.35 ₫138.9K
$17.33 A$24.83
-69.13%
Cinema Ticket
$3.07 ₫79.5K
$9.41 A$13.47
-67.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$161 ₫4.2M
$1,486 A$2,128
-89.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K ₫393.0M
$18.6K A$26.6K
-18.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.38 ₫1.2M
$69.8 A$100.0
-34.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.22 ₫705.9K
$35.77 A$51.2
-23.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₫2.6M
$97.0 A$139
3.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.9 ₫2.1M
$108 A$154
-24.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$529 ₫13.7M
$1,375 A$1,970
-61.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 ₫9.1M
$1,051 A$1,505
-66.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,053 ₫27.3M
$2,182 A$3,125
-51.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$811 ₫21.0M
$2,210 A$3,166
-63.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,834 ₫99.4M
$5,048 A$7,232
-24.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,308 ₫33.9M
$5,001 A$7,164
-73.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Da Nang
Lake Macquarie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$363 ₫9.4M
$5,002 A$7,166
-92.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.72
4.35
146.44%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Da Nang
$349
Lake Macquarie
$1.1K 201% $702
Groceries & Markets
Da Nang
$201
Lake Macquarie
$275 37% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Da Nang
$114
Lake Macquarie
$140 22.4% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Da Nang
$91
Lake Macquarie
$284 211% $192
Eating Out
Da Nang
$67
Lake Macquarie
$281 317% $213
Sport & Entertainment
Da Nang
$31
Lake Macquarie
$73 136% $42
Getting Around
Da Nang
$10
Lake Macquarie
$108 977% $98

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Da Nang versus $1,375 in Lake Macquarie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1277% higher in Lake Macquarie, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Da Nang versus $85.0 in Lake Macquarie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $275 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Da Nang
🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie
🕒 Local time
06:27 6:27 AM
10:27 10:27 AM
4 h ahead of Da Nang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,245,200
1,059
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,022 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Da Nang Lake Macquarie 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Da Nang
  • Lake Macquarie

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 Lake Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Da Nang and in Lake Macquarie compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $863 in Da Nang, $2,211 in Lake Macquarie – roughly 156% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Da Nang compared to Lake Macquarie?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,295 per month in Da Nang and $3,317 in Lake Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Da Nang and Lake Macquarie?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 37% more in Lake Macquarie, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Da Nang and $85.0 in Lake Macquarie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $863, than in Lake Macquarie at $2,211. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Macquarie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Da Nang and Lake Macquarie?
It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $863 in Da Nang to $2,211 in Lake Macquarie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Da Nang or Lake Macquarie safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Da Nang and Lake Macquarie?
If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lake Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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