Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index
183

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
Learn more

Santa Monica, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Santa Monica, CA

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 Santa Monica, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Da Nang vs $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Da Nang $889
Santa Monica, CA $3,815

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Da Nang vs $5,847 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Da Nang $1,426
Santa Monica, CA $5,847

A family of three spends $1,963 per month in Da Nang vs $7,879 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Da Nang $1,963
Santa Monica, CA $7,879

Da Nang is about 77% cheaper than Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Da Nang sits 35% below the global median, while Santa Monica, CA is 180% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.1K

$26.80 $26.80

-91.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.6K

$121 $121

-83.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.1K

$15.08 $15.08

-69.96%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$5.77 $5.77

-71.58%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$3.32 $3.32

-81.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,912

$2.35 $2.35

-85.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$7.94 $7.94

-83.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$9.95 $9.95

-76.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.35 $1.35

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.1K

$4.63 $4.63

-74.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$4.52 $4.52

-76.77%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$5.46 $5.46

-72.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫331.1K

$15.99 $15.99

-19.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.6K

$14.11 $14.11

-70.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.9K

$19.54 $19.54

-52.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.3K

$4.86 $4.86

-46.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.4K

$2.24 $2.24

-45.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$4.14 $4.14

-69.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$5.76 $5.76

-72.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$3.38 $3.38

-64.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$2.91 $2.91

-54.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$2.16 $2.16

-51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$2.57 $2.57

-80.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$11.59 $11.59

-86.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.9K

$14.87 $14.87

-46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$2.53 $2.53

-63.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.4K

$3.02 $3.02

-27.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,702

$1.70 $1.70

-82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.9K

$54.8 $54.8

-88.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

$3.03 $3.03

-65.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

$1.83 $1.83

-68.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.7K

$32.50 $32.50

-40.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.48 $1.48

-38.51%

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

$30.8K ₫796.3M

$32.6K $32.6K

-5.43%

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

$28.4K ₫733.1M

$26.3K $26.3K

7.95%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$216 $216

-63.69%

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

$6.35 ₫164.1K

$46.35 $46.35

-86.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫215.2K

$64.5 $64.5

-87.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫699.4K

$67.3 $67.3

-59.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.4K

$44.25 $44.25

-87.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫87.0K

$18.86 $18.86

-82.13%

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

$423 ₫10.9M

$1,741 $1,741

-75.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫390.0M

$32.4K $32.4K

-53.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

$87.7 $87.7

-48.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫717.0K

$54.1 $54.1

-48.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

$106 $106

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

$118 $118

-29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

$3,795 $3,795

-85.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

$2,269 $2,269

-83.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

$8,658 $8,658

-85.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

$4,229 $4,229

-80.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.6M

$13.1K $13.1K

-70.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.5M

$9,732 $9,732

-80.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$7,010 $7,010

-94.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

6.62

61.93%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.3K 59.5% 515% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$464 12.2% 132% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Santa Monica, CA

$165 4.3% 42.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$327 8.6% 251% $234

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$411 10.8% 524% $345

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$105 2.8% 211% $71

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Santa Monica, CA

$74 1.9% 549% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Da Nang versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Monica, CA are about 19 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang versus $121 in Santa Monica, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $464 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

09:57 9:57 AM

14 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

89,736

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Santa Monica, CA 12,570 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Santa Monica, CA

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 Santa Monica, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Da Nang, $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA – roughly 329% apart. 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 $5,722 in Santa Monica, CA. 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 $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Santa Monica, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang and $121 in Santa Monica, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Santa Monica, CA at $3,815. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Monica, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Da Nang costs $889 versus $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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