Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Amed, Bali

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Amed, Bali: $855 and $878 a month, rent and utilities included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$855
/mo nomad
Amed, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$878
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Amed, Bali

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

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $878 in Amed, Bali, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
  • Amed, Bali $878

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,464 in Amed, Bali, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
  • Amed, Bali $1,464

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,051 in Amed, Bali, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
  • Amed, Bali $2,051

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 3% cheaper than Amed, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Amed, Bali are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Amed, Bali 34% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.90 ₫49.1K
$2.07 Rp 36.9K
-8.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.32 ₫603.5K
$21.96 Rp 392.6K
6.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.67 ₫120.9K
$3.53 Rp 63.0K
32.29%
Cappuccino
$1.85 ₫47.9K
$1.73 Rp 31.0K
6.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₫14.4K
$1.04 Rp 18.6K
-46.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,857
$0.49 Rp 8,679
-30.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.01 ₫26.2K
$1.65 Rp 29.4K
-38.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 ₫43.7K
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
-37.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₫40.8K
$1.29 Rp 23.1K
22.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.04 ₫27.0K
$1.90 Rp 33.9K
-45.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ₫25.7K
$1.01 Rp 18.1K
-1.98%
Eggs
$1.60 ₫41.5K
$1.79 Rp 31.9K
-10.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.23 ₫316.6K
$14.97 Rp 267.7K
-18.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.54 ₫91.7K
$3.42 Rp 61.2K
3.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.44 ₫270.2K
$10.55 Rp 188.6K
-1.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 ₫79.9K
$3.05 Rp 54.6K
1.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₫32.5K
$1.37 Rp 24.6K
-8.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 ₫40.6K
$2.02 Rp 36.1K
-22.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 ₫32.5K
$1.69 Rp 30.2K
-25.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 ₫30.4K
$1.61 Rp 28.7K
-27.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 ₫29.7K
$2.08 Rp 37.2K
-44.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ₫18.7K
$0.88 Rp 15.7K
-18.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₫14.0K
$0.46 Rp 8,258
17.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.22 ₫31.5K
$1.89 Rp 33.9K
-35.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.28 ₫317.8K
$19.16 Rp 342.5K
-35.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 ₫25.4K
$2.05 Rp 36.7K
-52.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 ₫38.5K
$2.62 Rp 46.9K
-43.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 ₫7,249
$0.22 Rp 3,940
27.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.62 ₫300.8K
$6.69 Rp 119.6K
73.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 ₫18.9K
$0.41 Rp 7,255
78.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₫16.7K
$0.35 Rp 6,322
82.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 ₫82.0K
$5.11 Rp 91.3K
-37.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 ₫24.6K
$0.71 Rp 12.6K
33.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K ₫795.6M
$20.5K Rp 366.5M
49.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K ₫791.6M
$26.6K Rp 476.0M
14.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 ₫2.6M
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
33.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.65 ₫146.1K
$6.01 Rp 107.5K
-5.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.52 ₫272.2K
$17.86 Rp 319.3K
-41.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.86 ₫669.2K
$36.09 Rp 645.1K
-28.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.82 ₫305.9K
$12.17 Rp 217.6K
-2.88%
Cinema Ticket
$3.39 ₫87.8K
$2.95 Rp 52.7K
14.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$438 ₫11.3M
$401 Rp 7.2M
9.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.3K ₫603.1M
$4,694 Rp 83.9M
396.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.5 ₫1.3M
$40.83 Rp 729.8K
26.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.56 ₫894.3K
$31.86 Rp 569.6K
8.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 ₫2.4M
$72.4 Rp 1.3M
26.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.9 ₫2.5M
$70.7 Rp 1.3M
34.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$577 ₫14.9M
$535 Rp 9.6M
7.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$292 ₫7.6M
$328 Rp 5.9M
-10.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,293 ₫33.5M
$1,732 Rp 31.0M
-25.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 ₫18.6M
$826 Rp 14.8M
-13.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,714 ₫122.0M
$1,348 Rp 24.1M
249.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,882 ₫48.7M
$1,093 Rp 19.5M
72.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Amed, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$486 ₫12.6M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.64
13.78
-37.30%

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

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

Last update for Amed, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$292
Amed, Bali
$328 12.3% $36
Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$206
Amed, Bali
$249 21% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$123
Amed, Bali
$97 20.8% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$118
Amed, Bali
$101 15.1% $18
Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$63
Amed, Bali
$68 6.6% $4.2
Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$33
Amed, Bali
$42 28.6% $9.3
Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$17
Amed, Bali
$9.8 41.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $535 in Amed, Bali. 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 $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $22.00 in Amed, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $249 in Amed, Bali – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇮🇩 Amed, Bali
🕒 Local time
15:04 3:04 PM
16:04 4:04 PM
1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,456,700
10,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Amed, Bali 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
  • Amed, Bali

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
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs Amed, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Amed, Bali?
Amed, Bali costs about 3% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Amed, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,317 in Amed, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Amed, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) compared to Amed, Bali?
Public transport costs about 74% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Amed, Bali?
Kindergarten costs $438 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $401 in Amed, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or in Amed, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Amed, Bali at $878. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amed, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Amed, Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs $855 versus $878 in Amed, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) compared to Amed, Bali?
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.
Should I move to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or to Amed, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amed, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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