Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Kan: $819 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $370 less a year. The total is higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) despite lower rent and utilities.

41

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 Kan
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Bac Kan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Bac Kan

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$819

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $819 in Bac Kan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Bac Kan $819

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,293 in Bac Kan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Bac Kan $1,293

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,768 in Bac Kan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Bac Kan $1,768

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 4% more expensive than in Bac Kan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Bac Kan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.8K

$1.99 ₫51.4K

7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.7K

$23.09 ₫594.9K

1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$4.54 ₫116.9K

0.22%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.88 ₫48.4K

-5.32%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$0.49 ₫12.6K

8.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,213

$0.33 ₫8,591

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$1.19 ₫30.7K

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$1.97 ₫50.8K

-14.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.52 ₫39.2K

9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$1.01 ₫25.9K

17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$0.81 ₫21.0K

27.16%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.52 ₫39.1K

9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.2K

$12.08 ₫311.1K

1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.70 ₫95.4K

-4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.1K

$9.27 ₫238.8K

10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$3.18 ₫82.0K

-2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.02 ₫26.4K

19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$1.30 ₫33.5K

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.12 ₫28.8K

8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$0.91 ₫23.4K

31.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.15 ₫29.5K

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.59 ₫15.2K

23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.53 ₫13.7K

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.40 ₫36.0K

-12.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.6K

$10.61 ₫273.4K

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.92 ₫23.8K

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$1.63 ₫42.0K

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,233

$0.35 ₫9,037

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.2K

$7.71 ₫198.5K

50.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$0.92 ₫23.7K

-17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$0.60 ₫15.5K

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$2.40 ₫61.8K

30.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$0.91 ₫23.5K

-1.10%

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

$30.9K ₫796.1M

$30.7K ₫790.2M

0.74%

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

$29.6K ₫762.3M

$28.8K ₫743.0M

2.59%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$83.5 ₫2.2M

19.58%

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

$5.75 ₫148.1K

$4.92 ₫126.8K

16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫265.0K

$8.79 ₫226.4K

17.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.3K

$17.75 ₫457.3K

2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.2K

$7.94 ₫204.7K

53.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.4K

$4.52 ₫116.5K

-13.72%

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

$530 ₫13.7M

$333 ₫8.6M

59.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫686.2M

$29.3K ₫755.6M

-9.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$44.64 ₫1.1M

18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.5K

$28.13 ₫724.7K

24.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$84.8 ₫2.2M

12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$73.1 ₫1.9M

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$452 ₫11.6M

36.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$320 ₫8.2M

-7.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$606 ₫15.6M

116.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$660 ₫17.0M

7.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$2,473 ₫63.7M

79.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$1,146 ₫29.5M

75.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.17

5.75%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 31, 2026

Last update for Bac Kan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35%

Bac Kan

$320 39.1% 7.6% $23

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Bac Kan

$193 23.5% 6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Bac Kan

$104 12.7% 17.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Bac Kan

$97 11.9% 16.1% $19

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Bac Kan

$65 8% 1.7% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Bac Kan

$27 3.3% 3.2% $0.8

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Bac Kan

$13 1.6% 21.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $452 in Bac Kan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23 in Bac Kan. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $193, with Bac Kan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Bac Kan

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

38,510

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Bac Kan 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bac Kan

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 Kan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Kan is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,275 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,229 in Bac Kan 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $452 in Bac Kan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $850 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $819 in Bac Kan – Bac Kan is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bac Kan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bac Kan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.