Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Giang: $791 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Bac Giang
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Bac Giang Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Bac Giang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bac Giang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $791 in Bac Giang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Bac Giang $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,254 in Bac Giang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Bac Giang $1,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,716 in Bac Giang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Bac Giang $1,716

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 9% more expensive than in Bac Giang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Bac Giang 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$1.89 ₫49.0K

4.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$15.33 ₫397.0K

50.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.53 ₫117.3K

5.08%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.83 ₫47.5K

1.64%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.37 ₫9,613

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.26 ₫6,699

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.80 ₫20.6K

28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$0.95 ₫24.7K

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.48 ₫38.3K

6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.07 ₫27.7K

1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.80 ₫20.8K

31.25%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.46 ₫37.7K

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$11.93 ₫308.8K

3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.67 ₫95.1K

-2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.93 ₫257.1K

6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$3.39 ₫87.9K

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.07 ₫27.8K

17.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.34 ₫34.6K

20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.16 ₫30.1K

12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.99 ₫25.6K

20.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.09 ₫28.2K

4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.55 ₫14.2K

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.53 ₫13.7K

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$1.43 ₫37.0K

-10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$12.32 ₫319.1K

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.67 ₫43.3K

-11.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.33 ₫8,452

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$5.84 ₫151.3K

95.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.75 ₫19.5K

-9.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.56 ₫14.5K

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.30 ₫59.5K

30.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.94 ₫24.3K

-3.19%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$31.1K ₫805.4M

-1.73%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$28.4K ₫736.4M

3.23%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$85.0 ₫2.2M

22.13%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$5.22 ₫135.2K

10.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$8.89 ₫230.2K

17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$26.53 ₫686.7K

-1.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$8.30 ₫214.9K

43.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$4.71 ₫122.0K

-17.41%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$189 ₫4.9M

133.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$13.8K ₫357.6M

74.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$47.75 ₫1.2M

6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$26.02 ₫673.7K

35.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$84.6 ₫2.2M

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$77.8 ₫2.0M

23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$143 ₫3.7M

306.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$281 ₫7.3M

5.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$817 ₫21.2M

58.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$624 ₫16.1M

16.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,272 ₫58.8M

110.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,239 ₫32.1M

49.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$215 ₫5.6M

128.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.28

4.35%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for Bac Giang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Bac Giang

$281 35.5% 5.4% $16

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Bac Giang

$200 25.2% 3.9% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Bac Giang

$106 13.4% 14% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Bac Giang

$99 12.5% 17.5% $21

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Bac Giang

$59 7.5% 8.1% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Bac Giang

$36 4.5% 6.2% $2.1

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Bac Giang

$11 1.4% 34.1% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $143 in Bac Giang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 128% 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: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $15.00 in Bac Giang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $200 per month, with Bac Giang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Bac Giang

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

194,171

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Bac Giang 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bac Giang

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 Bac Giang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Giang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 128% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $143 in Bac Giang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Giang – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $791 in Bac Giang versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bac Giang but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Bac Giang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bac Giang 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, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bac Giang 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 Bac Giang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.