Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $668 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
Learn more

Balikpapan Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $668 in Balikpapan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Balikpapan $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,048 in Balikpapan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Balikpapan $1,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,428 in Balikpapan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Balikpapan $1,428

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 29% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Balikpapan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

37.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$10.95 Rp 197.1K

108.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

48.85%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

36.03%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.37 Rp 6,712

51.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.38 Rp 6,871

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

-52.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-48.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

-13.79%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

-34.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$7.38 Rp 132.8K

63.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.04 Rp 144.7K

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.25 Rp 40.5K

31.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

-39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

-34.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

-48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

-49.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.29 Rp 5,219

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

-34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.38 Rp 6,777

76.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

16.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

24.68%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$23.4K Rp 420.6M

32.96%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$31.0K Rp 558.8M

-2.21%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

51.13%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$4.36 Rp 78.4K

35.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$29.86 Rp 537.4K

-64.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$23.74 Rp 427.4K

7.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$8.46 Rp 152.2K

40.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

24.30%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$93.1 Rp 1.7M

368.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,570 Rp 154.3M

171.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$38.14 Rp 686.6K

38.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$18.66 Rp 335.9K

83.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$141 Rp 2.5M

-35.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$203 Rp 3.7M

190.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$148 Rp 2.7M

101.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$537 Rp 9.7M

140.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$361 Rp 6.5M

97.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,258 Rp 22.6M

271.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$818 Rp 14.7M

132.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$238 Rp 4.3M

105.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

9.46

-8.67%

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

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Balikpapan

$148 22.1% 50.4% $150

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Balikpapan

$206 30.9% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Balikpapan

$121 18.1% 1.4% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Balikpapan

$102 15.2% 14.1% $17

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Balikpapan

$57 8.6% 9.4% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 9.7% $3.2

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Balikpapan

$4.2 * 0.6% 74.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $203 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 106% 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 $11.00 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

701,066

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Balikpapan 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Balikpapan

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 Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Balikpapan differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $668 including rent). Balikpapan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $203 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $93.1 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Balikpapan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Balikpapan 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 Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.