Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bandar Seri Begawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Bandar Seri Begawan

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 Bandar Seri Begawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,193

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,725 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,725

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,257 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Bandar Seri Begawan $2,257

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 28% cheaper than Bandar Seri Begawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bandar Seri Begawan are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Bandar Seri Begawan 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$3.84 BND 4.91

-50.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$27.17 BND 34.78

-14.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$6.13 BND 7.84

-23.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 BND 2.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.96

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$3.88 BND 4.97

-52.32%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.95 BND 1.22

-41.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.53 BND 0.68

-35.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.84 BND 2.36

-14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.70 BND 2.18

-38.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.24 BND 1.58

-20.16%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.01 BND 2.58

-20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$9.26 BND 11.85

32.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$4.39 BND 5.63

-19.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$10.63 BND 13.61

-1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.19 BND 4.09

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.18 BND 2.79

-42.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.86 BND 3.66

-45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.59 BND 3.31

-51.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.75 BND 2.24

-33.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.08 BND 2.67

-44.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$3.61 BND 4.62

-80.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.93 BND 1.19

-41.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.07 BND 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 BND 4.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$15.45 BND 19.78

-92.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.82 BND 1.05

-65.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$0.82 BND 1.05

1317.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$3.82 BND 4.89

-80.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$3.42 BND 4.38

-81.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$11.89 BND 15.22

-73.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.39 BND 0.50

143.59%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$43.7K BND 56.0K

-29.72%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$36.2K BND 46.3K

-15.45%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$60.7 BND 77.7

68.67%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$21.58 BND 27.63

-73.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$65.4 BND 83.8

-83.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$45.10 BND 57.7

-42.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$6.96 BND 8.91

69.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$5.34 BND 6.84

-36.52%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$214 BND 273

104.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$9,857 BND 12.6K

136.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$75.2 BND 96.3

-31.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$92.5 BND 118

-62.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$104 BND 133

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$73.3 BND 93.8

29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$734 BND 939

-21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$469 BND 601

-37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$1,125 BND 1,440

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$692 BND 885

3.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$3,106 BND 3,977

51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$2,298 BND 2,942

-18.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,755 BND 2,247

-72.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.88

122.68%

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 Bandar Seri Begawan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$469 40% 60.7% $177

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.6% 6.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$155 13.2% 26.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$148 12.6% 24.6% $29

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$102 8.7% 60.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$56 4.8% 70.9% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$25 2.1% 49.7% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $734 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 261% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $218 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

50,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.697 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.697 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Bandar Seri Begawan 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bandar Seri Begawan

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 Bandar Seri Begawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bandar Seri Begawan is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,789 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That's a gap of about 39%.

Public transport costs about 1317% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Bandar Seri Begawan at $1,193. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bandar Seri Begawan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bandar Seri Begawan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.