😐A single person spends $804 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $580 in Bejaia, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $1,312 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $892 in Bejaia, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $1,820 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,204 in Bejaia, rent included.
😐Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 39% more than Bejaia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bejaia are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)40% lower, Bejaia56% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.98₫52.1K
$2.39DZD 317
-17.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.00₫604.6K
$7.95DZD 1,052
189.31%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.68₫123.0K
$4.73DZD 626
-1.06%
Cappuccino
$1.71₫45.1K
$0.25DZD 33.07
584.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48₫12.6K
$0.57DZD 74.8
-15.79%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28₫7,340
$0.21DZD 27.73
33.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.04₫27.3K
$1.98DZD 262
-47.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58₫41.5K
$1.21DZD 160
30.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.52₫40.1K
$1.03DZD 136
47.57%
White Bread(500g)
$0.99₫26.0K
$0.15DZD 19.37
560.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.94₫24.7K
$1.62DZD 214
-41.98%
Eggs
$1.47₫38.8K
$1.87DZD 248
-21.39%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.83₫311.0K
$6.43DZD 850
83.98%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.61₫94.8K
$5.32DZD 704
-32.14%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.51₫276.4K
$16.67DZD 2,204
-36.95%
Apples(1kg)
$2.66₫70.0K
$3.13DZD 413
-15.02%
Banana(1kg)
$1.11₫29.3K
$1.97DZD 260
-43.65%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.30₫34.3K
$1.77DZD 234
-26.55%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.17₫30.8K
$0.87DZD 116
34.48%
Potato(1kg)
$1.16₫30.4K
$0.60DZD 79.8
93.33%
Onion(1kg)
$1.23₫32.4K
$0.50DZD 66.5
146.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.71₫18.7K
$0.68DZD 89.8
4.41%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48₫12.5K
$0.28DZD 36.54
71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.22₫32.2K
$2.72DZD 360
-55.15%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.24₫295.4K
$6.74DZD 891
66.77%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87₫22.8K
$1.34DZD 178
-35.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48₫39.0K
$2.13DZD 282
-30.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.26₫6,805
$0.14DZD 18.66
85.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.58₫278.2K
$23.37DZD 3,090
-54.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.71₫18.8K
$0.66DZD 87.1
7.58%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.69₫18.1K
$0.36DZD 47.72
91.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.06₫80.3K
$3.98DZD 526
-23.12%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.88₫23.0K
$0.34DZD 44.48
158.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K₫988.9M
$36.4KDZD 4.8M
3.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K₫910.5M
$33.4KDZD 4.4M
3.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$85.8₫2.3M
$39.97DZD 5,285
114.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.75₫151.2K
$9.30DZD 1,229
-38.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.21₫242.0K
$17.87DZD 2,362
-48.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$21.17₫556.5K
$21.55DZD 2,850
-1.76%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.22₫242.5K
$6.08DZD 805
51.64%
Cinema Ticket
$4.34₫114.2K
$4.49DZD 594
-3.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$278₫7.3M
$93.5DZD 12.4K
197.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.9K₫365.1M
$2,370DZD 313.4K
485.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.88₫1.1M
$31.96DZD 4,226
31.04%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.95₫708.4K
$45.97DZD 6,078
-41.37%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$95.0₫2.5M
$64.5DZD 8,531
47.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.8₫2.2M
$77.9DZD 10.3K
8.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$525₫13.8M
$194DZD 25.6K
170.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$299₫7.9M
$117DZD 15.4K
156.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,107₫29.1M
$272DZD 36.0K
306.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$661₫17.4M
$187DZD 24.7K
253.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,542₫119.4M
$4,514DZD 596.9K
0.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,813₫47.7M
$3,869DZD 511.5K
-53.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bejaia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$487₫12.8M
$212DZD 28.1K
129.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.14
5.42
68.63%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): July 26, 2026
Last update for Bejaia: July 25, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $525 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $194 in Bejaia. 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 129% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), 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 $8.00 in Bejaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $194 – making Bejaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Bejaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Bejaia?
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 39% more than Bejaia, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. 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 Bejaia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,206 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $871 in Bejaia. 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 Bejaia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bejaia, 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 Bejaia?
Public transport costs about 121% less in Bejaia. 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 Bejaia?
Kindergarten costs $278 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $93.5 in Bejaia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or in Bejaia?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $804 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $580 in Bejaia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Bejaia?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bejaia costs $580 versus $804 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 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 Bejaia?
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 Bejaia?
If budget matters most, go with Bejaia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs other spots: cost of living compared