Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Xoai: $784 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dong Xoai, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Dong Xoai
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$784
/mo nomad
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$853
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dong Xoai 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 Dong Xoai and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $784 per month in Dong Xoai vs $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

  • Dong Xoai $784
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853

A couple spends around $1,254 per month in Dong Xoai vs $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

  • Dong Xoai $1,254
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391

A family of three spends $1,724 per month in Dong Xoai vs $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

  • Dong Xoai $1,724
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930

Dong Xoai is about 8% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Dong Xoai and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Dong Xoai 42% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.04 ₫52.7K
$1.91 ₫49.3K
6.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.01 ₫491.0K
$22.93 ₫592.4K
-17.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.39 ₫113.4K
$4.69 ₫121.2K
-6.40%
Cappuccino
$1.71 ₫44.3K
$1.80 ₫46.5K
-5.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₫14.1K
$0.55 ₫14.3K
-1.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₫8,595
$0.34 ₫8,812
-2.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.86 ₫22.3K
$1.03 ₫26.7K
-16.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 ₫38.8K
$1.72 ₫44.4K
-12.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₫40.1K
$1.67 ₫43.1K
-7.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 ₫27.6K
$1.09 ₫28.2K
-1.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.04 ₫26.8K
$1.06 ₫27.3K
-1.89%
Eggs
$1.49 ₫38.5K
$1.60 ₫41.3K
-6.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.30 ₫317.7K
$12.08 ₫312.1K
1.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.81 ₫98.5K
$3.66 ₫94.5K
4.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.67 ₫249.9K
$10.35 ₫267.3K
-6.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 ₫77.2K
$3.01 ₫77.7K
-0.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.10 ₫28.4K
$1.26 ₫32.6K
-12.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 ₫35.6K
$1.62 ₫41.9K
-14.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.22 ₫31.6K
$1.27 ₫32.7K
-3.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.00 ₫25.9K
$1.18 ₫30.5K
-15.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 ₫29.2K
$1.19 ₫30.7K
-5.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.67 ₫17.2K
$0.78 ₫20.1K
-14.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₫14.6K
$0.55 ₫14.3K
3.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.39 ₫36.0K
$1.26 ₫32.5K
10.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.60 ₫299.6K
$12.85 ₫331.9K
-9.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₫23.3K
$0.90 ₫23.1K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ₫42.8K
$1.46 ₫37.6K
13.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 ₫8,886
$0.28 ₫7,260
21.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.52 ₫168.5K
$11.42 ₫295.0K
-42.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.76 ₫19.5K
$0.70 ₫18.2K
8.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₫15.5K
$0.63 ₫16.3K
-4.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.52 ₫65.2K
$3.09 ₫79.8K
-18.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 ₫24.1K
$0.95 ₫24.6K
-2.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K ₫807.6M
$30.5K ₫788.3M
2.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K ₫734.8M
$29.7K ₫767.8M
-4.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$78.3 ₫2.0M
$102 ₫2.6M
-23.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.93 ₫153.3K
$5.65 ₫145.8K
4.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.75 ₫226.0K
$10.43 ₫269.5K
-16.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.21 ₫599.5K
$19.30 ₫498.7K
20.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.54 ₫194.7K
$11.81 ₫305.1K
-36.16%
Cinema Ticket
$3.33 ₫86.1K
$3.83 ₫98.9K
-13.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$191 ₫4.9M
$484 ₫12.5M
-60.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.9K ₫358.4M
$23.3K ₫602.3M
-40.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.29 ₫1.2M
$52.3 ₫1.4M
-11.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.86 ₫693.9K
$34.35 ₫887.3K
-21.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.4 ₫2.2M
$92.3 ₫2.4M
-9.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.6 ₫2.0M
$94.2 ₫2.4M
-16.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$413 ₫10.7M
$647 ₫16.7M
-36.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$282 ₫7.3M
$297 ₫7.7M
-4.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 ₫20.6M
$1,291 ₫33.3M
-38.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₫16.2M
$719 ₫18.6M
-13.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,258 ₫58.3M
$4,327 ₫111.8M
-47.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,202 ₫31.0M
$1,987 ₫51.3M
-39.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dong Xoai
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$490 ₫12.7M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.28
8.64
-4.17%

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

Last update for Dong Xoai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dong Xoai
$282
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$297 5.2% $15
Groceries & Markets
Dong Xoai
$200
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$208 3.9% $7.7
Clothing & Footwear
Dong Xoai
$106
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$123 16.2% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dong Xoai
$93
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$118 27.2% $25
Eating Out
Dong Xoai
$61
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$63 3.7% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Dong Xoai
$30
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$27 9.7% $2.9
Getting Around
Dong Xoai
$12
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$16 40.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $413 in Dong Xoai versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dong Xoai versus $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $208 – making Dong Xoai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Dong Xoai
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🕒 Local time
19:01 7:01 PM
19:01 7:01 PM
Same time as Dong Xoai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
168,000
9,456,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dong Xoai Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 87 km
From you
  • Dong Xoai
  • 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
Dong Xoai vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Dong Xoai and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $784 in Dong Xoai, $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Dong Xoai compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,176 per month in Dong Xoai and $1,279 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Dong Xoai and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dong Xoai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $413 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Which city is more expensive overall: Dong Xoai or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $784 in Dong Xoai and $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That’s a gap of about 9%.
How do commuting costs compare in Dong Xoai and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Public transport costs about 43% less in Dong Xoai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $1,200 go in Dong Xoai compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $784 in Dong Xoai and $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Dong Xoai or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Families tend to lean toward Dong Xoai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Dong Xoai or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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.
Where should expats move: Dong Xoai or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
For expats, Dong Xoai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 9% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Dong Xoai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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