Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $866 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Des Moines, IA and in Da Nang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Des Moines, IA and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $866 in Da Nang, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Da Nang $866

A couple spends around $3,236 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,402 in Da Nang, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Da Nang $1,402

A family of three spends $4,301 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,937 in Da Nang, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Da Nang $1,937

Des Moines, IA costs about 151% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Des Moines, IA sits 60% above the global median, while Da Nang is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$2.30 ₫59.7K

756.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$19.11 ₫494.6K

322.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$4.54 ₫117.4K

169.16%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$1.73 ₫44.7K

256.07%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$0.60 ₫15.5K

388.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.34 ₫8,807

652.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.38 ₫35.9K

261.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.35 ₫60.8K

150.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.59 ₫41.1K

-42.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.23 ₫31.7K

146.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.05 ₫27.1K

221.90%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$1.49 ₫38.5K

168.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$13.26 ₫343.2K

-26.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$4.25 ₫110.1K

133.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$9.57 ₫247.8K

42.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.64 ₫68.3K

64.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.20 ₫31.2K

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.31 ₫34.0K

246.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.53 ₫39.5K

140.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.14 ₫29.6K

169.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.31 ₫33.9K

63.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.03 ₫26.8K

131.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.53 ₫13.7K

313.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$1.51 ₫39.2K

419.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$7.54 ₫195.2K

96.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.93 ₫24.2K

82.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.17 ₫56.2K

42.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.35 ₫8,963

394.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$5.01 ₫129.6K

1060.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.04 ₫26.9K

89.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.56 ₫14.5K

119.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$19.19 ₫496.8K

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.89 ₫23.1K

4.49%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$30.4K ₫788.3M

-10.75%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$28.1K ₫726.2M

-10.35%

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

$185 $185

$78.5 ₫2.0M

135.04%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$6.17 ₫159.8K

768.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$8.35 ₫216.1K

740.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$25.33 ₫655.7K

151.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$5.45 ₫141.0K

269.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$3.29 ₫85.1K

203.65%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$160 ₫4.2M

639.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$14.9K ₫385.9M

-19.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$44.73 ₫1.2M

33.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$27.90 ₫722.2K

54.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$102 ₫2.6M

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$81.1 ₫2.1M

78.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$532 ₫13.8M

121.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$346 ₫9.0M

152.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,039 ₫26.9M

67.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$794 ₫20.6M

75.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$3,852 ₫99.7M

-39.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$1,328 ₫34.4M

75.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$354 ₫9.2M

929.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

10.72

-38.81%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Da Nang

$346 39.9% 60.4% $527

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Da Nang

$202 23.3% 42.2% $147

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Da Nang

$68 7.9% 79.1% $259

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Da Nang

$93 10.7% 69.8% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Da Nang

$115 13.3% 26.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Da Nang

$32 3.7% 61.9% $52

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 86% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $532 in Da Nang. 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 929% higher in Des Moines, IA, 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA versus $19.00 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $202 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

14:37 2:37 PM

12 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

1,245,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Da Nang 13,210 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
Da Nang

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

Des Moines, IA vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, $866 in Da Nang – roughly 151% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,256 per month in Des Moines, IA and $1,300 in Da Nang. 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.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Des Moines, IA, 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA and $19.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Des Moines, IA at $2,171. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA 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 $2,171 in Des Moines, IA. 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, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.