Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Sao Tome

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $866 a month against $1,219 in Sao Tome, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome
Learn more

Sao Tome Living Index

Jump to prices

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Sao Tome

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

A single person spends $866 per month in Da Nang vs $1,219 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Da Nang $866
Sao Tome $1,219

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Da Nang vs $1,924 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Da Nang $1,402
Sao Tome $1,924

A family of three spends $1,937 per month in Da Nang vs $2,629 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Da Nang $1,937
Sao Tome $2,629

Da Nang is about 29% cheaper than Sao Tome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Da Nang and Sao Tome are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 36% lower, Sao Tome 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ₫59.7K

$9.18 STN 200

-74.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.11 ₫494.6K

$45.02 STN 981

-57.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.4K

$7.99 STN 174

-43.18%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₫44.7K

$2.33 STN 50.8

-25.75%

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

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$1.81 STN 39.49

-66.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,807

$1.27 STN 27.64

-73.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₫35.9K

$1.66 STN 36.20

-16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₫60.8K

$1.88 STN 40.98

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₫41.1K

$1.52 STN 33.18

4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$1.01 STN 22.12

21.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.13 STN 46.40

-50.70%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$4.96 STN 108

-69.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ₫343.2K

$19.41 STN 423

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 ₫110.1K

$19.50 STN 425

-78.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₫247.8K

$24.70 STN 538

-61.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₫68.3K

$3.82 STN 83.3

-30.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.2K

$1.78 STN 38.75

-32.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$3.59 STN 78.2

-63.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₫39.5K

$3.48 STN 75.9

-56.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$2.83 STN 61.6

-59.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$2.31 STN 50.4

-43.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$0.54 STN 11.76

90.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.7K

$2.06 STN 45.01

-74.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$2.33 STN 50.8

-35.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₫195.2K

$7.96 STN 174

-5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.2K

$1.56 STN 34.09

-40.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$1.65 STN 36.01

31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,963

$1.34 STN 29.17

-73.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.01 ₫129.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.66 STN 36.13

-37.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$2.55 STN 55.6

-78.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.19 ₫496.8K

$13.93 STN 304

37.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.69 STN 36.95

-47.34%

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

$30.4K ₫788.3M

$24.3K STN 529.0K

25.48%

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

$28.1K ₫726.2M

$31.6K STN 689.7K

-11.34%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$233 STN 5,083

-66.32%

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

$6.17 ₫159.8K

$30.60 STN 667

-79.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₫216.1K

$65.9 STN 1,436

-87.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.33 ₫655.7K

$33.92 STN 739

-25.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₫141.0K

$25.32 STN 552

-78.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 ₫85.1K

$19.86 STN 433

-83.43%

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

$160 ₫4.2M

$226 STN 4,925

-28.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₫385.9M

$2,179 STN 47.5K

584.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ₫1.2M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 ₫722.2K

$75.1 STN 1,638

-62.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 ₫2.1M

$18.53 STN 404

337.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₫13.8M

$283 STN 6,161

88.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₫9.0M

$192 STN 4,184

80.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ₫26.9M

$929 STN 20.3K

11.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₫20.6M

$452 STN 9,846

75.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,852 ₫99.7M

$1,850 STN 40.3K

108.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 ₫34.4M

$1,160 STN 25.3K

14.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$354 ₫9.2M

$257 STN 5,595

38.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

7.38

45.26%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$346 39.9%

Sao Tome

$192 15.7% 44.5% $154

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$202 23.3%

Sao Tome

$412 33.8% 104% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13.3%

Sao Tome

$42 * 3.5% 63.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.7%

Sao Tome

$330 27% 254% $237

Eating Out

Da Nang

$68 7.9%

Sao Tome

$150 12.3% 120% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$32 3.7%

Sao Tome

$74 6% 131% $42

Getting Around

Da Nang

$10 1.2%

Sao Tome

$20 * 1.6% 93.1% $9.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Da Nang versus $283 in Sao Tome. 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 38% higher in Da Nang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Da Nang versus $45.00 in Sao Tome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $412 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇸🇹 Sao Tome

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

10:36 10:36 AM

7 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

53,300 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.51 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Sao Tome 11,220 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Sao Tome

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 Sao Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Da Nang, $1,219 in Sao Tome – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Da Nang and $1,829 in Sao Tome. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Da Nang and $1,219 in Sao Tome. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $160 per month in Da Nang and $226 in Sao Tome. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Sao Tome at $1,219. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Tome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Da Nang to $1,219 in Sao Tome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Sao Tome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.