Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa 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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Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hikkaduwa $509
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hikkaduwa $826
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hikkaduwa $1,144
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Hikkaduwa costs roughly 41% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hikkaduwa 62% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$1.91 ₫49.6K

132.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 LKR 8,146

$22.84 ₫591.2K

7.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,508

$4.54 ₫117.6K

66.74%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 828

$1.85 ₫48.0K

35.14%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.56 ₫14.6K

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.1

$0.32 ₫8,185

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 716

$1.06 ₫27.5K

103.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$1.72 ₫44.5K

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-52.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-20.00%

Eggs

$1.60 LKR 530

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 LKR 4,637

$12.08 ₫312.8K

15.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$3.68 ₫95.2K

32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,406

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-29.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 LKR 2,265

$2.96 ₫76.5K

131.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$1.24 ₫32.2K

-31.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,479

$1.56 ₫40.3K

185.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 406

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$0.74 ₫19.1K

24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 LKR 3,419

$1.24 ₫32.1K

732.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 LKR 4,537

$12.60 ₫326.1K

8.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 625

$0.96 ₫24.9K

96.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$1.53 ₫39.6K

96.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.75 ₫19.5K

-49.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-44.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-70.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.96 ₫24.8K

38.54%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

21.53%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

34.75%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

$102 ₫2.6M

-46.24%

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

$4.14 LKR 1,371

$5.89 ₫152.5K

-29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 LKR 6,960

$10.49 ₫271.6K

100.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$3.53 ₫91.3K

26.06%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

$436 ₫11.3M

-91.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-94.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,078

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-65.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 LKR 5,565

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-50.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-54.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

8.64

46.87%

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

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 13.1% $31

Eating Out

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 41.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 48% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 74.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 266% $24

Getting Around

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 643% $14

Accommodation & Living

Hikkaduwa

- * 0%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Hikkaduwa vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

22:23 10:23 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Hikkaduwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,342

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hikkaduwa Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hikkaduwa
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

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

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $763 in Hikkaduwa and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $509 per month in Hikkaduwa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa 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, Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.