Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $853 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Budapest $3,467

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 48% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) sits 37% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.4K

$13.81 Ft 4,537

-86.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.9K

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

-62.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$10.16 Ft 3,337

-53.84%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$3.22 Ft 1,058

-44.10%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$2.06 Ft 678

-73.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,819

$1.83 Ft 603

-81.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$3.60 Ft 1,184

-71.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.66 Ft 1,204

-53.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.19 Ft 391

40.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.87 Ft 615

-41.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$2.37 Ft 777

-55.27%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$3.96 Ft 1,301

-59.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.4K

$11.16 Ft 3,668

8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.6K

$6.76 Ft 2,220

-45.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.5K

$14.35 Ft 4,714

-27.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.8K

$1.81 Ft 594

66.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$2.11 Ft 693

-40.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.33 Ft 767

-30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$3.80 Ft 1,250

-66.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.6K

$0.99 Ft 326

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.98 Ft 323

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.2K

$1.55 Ft 510

-49.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.70 Ft 229

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$7.79 Ft 2,560

-83.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫332.2K

$6.05 Ft 1,988

112.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$1.28 Ft 420

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.04 Ft 669

-28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,266

$1.55 Ft 509

-81.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.3K

$27.28 Ft 8,964

-58.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$3.30 Ft 1,084

-78.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$1.31 Ft 431

-51.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$20.26 Ft 6,655

-84.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.82 Ft 598

-47.80%

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

$30.5K ₫788.9M

$28.7K Ft 9.4M

6.24%

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

$29.7K ₫768.4M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

-10.14%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$172 Ft 56.6K

-40.63%

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

$5.65 ₫145.9K

$23.95 Ft 7,869

-76.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.7K

$23.31 Ft 7,659

-55.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫499.0K

$68.6 Ft 22.5K

-71.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.4K

$18.91 Ft 6,213

-37.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫99.0K

$10.18 Ft 3,344

-62.38%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$600 Ft 197.3K

-19.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.7M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

38.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$99.0 Ft 32.5K

-47.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫888.0K

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

-20.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$113 Ft 37.1K

-18.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$117 Ft 38.5K

-19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$836 Ft 274.7K

-22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$640 Ft 210.2K

-53.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.4M

$1,598 Ft 525.1K

-19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$1,205 Ft 395.9K

-40.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.9M

$5,625 Ft 1.8M

-23.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.4M

$3,802 Ft 1.2M

-47.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,671 Ft 549.1K

-70.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.45

33.95%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 115% $343

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 24.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 36.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 85.5% $101

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 249% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 230% $62

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 164% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $836 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $258 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

09:04 9:04 AM

6 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,849 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 329 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Budapest 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $2,457 in Budapest. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $647 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $600 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,638 in Budapest. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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