Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Polokwane

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $863 a month against $959 in Polokwane, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Polokwane despite lower rent and utilities.

Da Nang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$863
/mo nomad
Polokwane
🇿🇦 South Africa
$959
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $863 per month in Da Nang vs $959 in Polokwane, rent included.

  • Da Nang $863
  • Polokwane $959

A couple spends around $1,404 per month in Da Nang vs $1,417 in Polokwane, rent included.

  • Da Nang $1,404
  • Polokwane $1,417

A family of three spends $1,945 per month in Da Nang vs $1,875 in Polokwane, rent included.

  • Da Nang $1,945
  • Polokwane $1,875

Da Nang is about 10% cheaper than Polokwane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Da Nang and Polokwane are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 36% lower, Polokwane 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.30 ₫59.4K
$12.24 R 202
-81.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.62 ₫508.0K
$29.66 R 489
-33.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.60 ₫119.1K
$7.46 R 123
-38.34%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ₫43.0K
$2.38 R 39.26
-30.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₫15.7K
$0.77 R 12.68
-20.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,877
$0.88 R 14.47
-61.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.34 ₫34.6K
$1.68 R 27.65
-20.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₫61.1K
$1.88 R 30.95
25.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 ₫41.5K
$1.32 R 21.71
21.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 ₫31.3K
$1.08 R 17.82
12.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.00 ₫25.9K
$1.70 R 28.03
-41.18%
Eggs
$1.51 ₫39.1K
$2.65 R 43.69
-43.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 ₫333.9K
$7.84 R 129
64.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.29 ₫111.1K
$4.59 R 75.6
-6.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.06 ₫234.6K
$6.04 R 99.6
50.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 ₫70.6K
$2.01 R 33.19
35.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 ₫30.8K
$1.85 R 30.53
-35.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.29 ₫33.4K
$1.81 R 29.80
-28.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 ₫41.3K
$1.96 R 32.30
-18.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 ₫30.4K
$1.67 R 27.49
-29.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 ₫34.3K
$1.50 R 24.73
-11.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₫26.1K
$1.12 R 18.48
-9.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₫13.7K
$0.82 R 13.46
-35.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.56 ₫40.3K
$2.68 R 44.22
-41.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.93 ₫205.2K
$4.87 R 80.2
62.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₫22.9K
$1.15 R 18.88
-23.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 ₫54.9K
$1.61 R 26.54
31.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 ₫8,182
$0.92 R 15.22
-65.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.99 ₫129.3K
$30.03 R 495
-83.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 ₫27.1K
$0.87 R 14.41
20.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 ₫14.3K
$0.95 R 15.66
-42.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.50 ₫504.8K
$14.36 R 237
35.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 ₫24.5K
$1.43 R 23.52
-33.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K ₫799.2M
$26.1K R 430.1K
18.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K ₫724.6M
$28.5K R 469.0K
-1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.6 ₫2.0M
$138 R 2,281
-44.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.47 ₫167.6K
$38.10 R 628
-83.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.08 ₫209.1K
$32.99 R 544
-75.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.98 ₫646.6K
$23.29 R 384
7.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.35 ₫138.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.07 ₫79.4K
$8.00 R 132
-61.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$161 ₫4.2M
$179 R 2,946
-9.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K ₫392.3M
$1,452 R 23.9K
944.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.38 ₫1.2M
$45.30 R 746
0.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.22 ₫704.7K
$37.73 R 622
-27.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₫2.6M
$80.6 R 1,328
24.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.9 ₫2.1M
$93.7 R 1,544
-13.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$529 ₫13.7M
$290 R 4,785
82.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 ₫9.0M
$203 R 3,338
72.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,053 ₫27.3M
$420 R 6,922
150.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$811 ₫21.0M
$284 R 4,683
185.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,834 ₫99.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,308 ₫33.9M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Da Nang
Polokwane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$363 ₫9.4M
$1,343 R 22.1K
-72.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.72
10.91
-1.74%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Da Nang
$349
Polokwane
$203 42% $146
Groceries & Markets
Da Nang
$201
Polokwane
$185 7.6% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Da Nang
$114
Polokwane
$116 1.5% $1.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Da Nang
$91
Polokwane
$210 130% $118
Eating Out
Da Nang
$67
Polokwane
$168 149% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Da Nang
$31
Polokwane
$39 26.3% $8.2
Getting Around
Da Nang
$10
Polokwane
$39 291% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Da Nang versus $290 in Polokwane. 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 270% higher in Polokwane, 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 $30.00 in Polokwane. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Da Nang vs $185 in Polokwane – so Polokwane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Da Nang
🇿🇦 Polokwane
🕒 Local time
00:48 12:48 AM
19:48 7:48 PM
5 h behind Da Nang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,245,200
628,999
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Da Nang Polokwane 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Da Nang
  • Polokwane

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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Da Nang and in Polokwane compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $863 in Da Nang, $959 in Polokwane – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Da Nang compared to Polokwane?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,295 per month in Da Nang and $1,439 in Polokwane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Da Nang and Polokwane?
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?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Polokwane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Da Nang and $30.00 in Polokwane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Da Nang compared to Polokwane?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $863 in Da Nang and $959 in Polokwane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Da Nang and Polokwane?
It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $863 in Da Nang to $959 in Polokwane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Da Nang or Polokwane 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 Polokwane?
If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Polokwane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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