Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhaka and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Dhaka $426
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Dhaka $735
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Dhaka $1,043
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 50% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$1.90 ₫49.2K

31.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$23.32 ₫603.7K

-44.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$4.67 ₫121.0K

3.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$1.85 ₫48.0K

26.49%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.34 ₫8,860

-52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-49.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.04 ₫27.0K

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$0.99 ₫25.7K

-28.28%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$1.60 ₫41.5K

-24.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$12.23 ₫316.7K

-29.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$3.54 ₫91.7K

-9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$10.44 ₫270.3K

-35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$3.09 ₫79.9K

-11.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$1.26 ₫32.5K

-30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$1.57 ₫40.6K

50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$1.26 ₫32.5K

-48.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-79.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-57.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$0.72 ₫18.7K

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$0.54 ₫14.0K

-44.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$1.22 ₫31.5K

164.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.28 ₫7,252

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$11.62 ₫301.0K

93.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.73 ₫18.9K

63.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$3.17 ₫82.0K

5.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.95 ₫24.6K

21.05%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$30.7K ₫795.9M

-1.46%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$30.6K ₫791.9M

8.00%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$102 ₫2.6M

-54.72%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$5.65 ₫146.2K

-23.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$10.52 ₫272.3K

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$25.86 ₫669.5K

-36.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$11.82 ₫306.1K

36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$3.39 ₫87.8K

21.83%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$438 ₫11.3M

-79.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$23.3K ₫603.3M

-88.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$51.5 ₫1.3M

-68.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$34.56 ₫894.6K

-39.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-44.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-61.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$577 ₫14.9M

-73.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$292 ₫7.6M

-74.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-66.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$717 ₫18.6M

-70.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

-65.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,882 ₫48.7M

-59.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$486 ₫12.6M

-48.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

8.64

21.30%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 67.7% $83

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 297% $219

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 1.3% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 93.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 119% $67

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 39.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 32.5% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $206 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,037 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dhaka Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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

Dhaka vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Dhaka versus $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 94% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.