Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $2,181 in Bunbury, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Bunbury
Learn more

Bunbury Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Bunbury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,181 in Bunbury.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Bunbury $2,181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,382 in Bunbury.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Bunbury $3,382

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $4,582 in Bunbury.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Bunbury $4,582

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 61% less than in Bunbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below, Bunbury is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$20.48 A$29.47

-90.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$85.2 A$123

-73.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$10.82 A$15.57

-58.04%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$4.23 A$6.08

-56.26%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$2.89 A$4.16

-80.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$2.19 A$3.15

-85.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$8.37 A$12.05

-87.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$8.39 A$12.08

-79.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.07 A$1.55

55.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.12 A$1.61

-0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.97 A$2.83

-49.24%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$5.12 A$7.37

-67.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.34 A$13.45

29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$8.25 A$11.86

-55.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.46 A$12.18

21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.71 A$5.35

-20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.25 A$4.67

-61.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.83 A$4.07

-44.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$4.79 A$6.89

-72.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.71 A$3.90

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.90 A$2.73

-39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.77 A$2.54

-58.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.83 A$1.19

-32.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$26.22 A$37.73

-95.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$6.78 A$9.75

85.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$4.39 A$6.32

-78.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.52 A$5.06

-56.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$2.79 A$4.02

-90.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$55.8 A$80.4

-79.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$3.63 A$5.22

-79.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.43 A$2.06

-53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$34.44 A$49.56

-91.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.17 A$1.69

-17.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.0K A$30.2K

47.87%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.7K A$27.0K

61.98%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$162 A$232

-36.88%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$33.73 A$48.53

-82.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$64.5 A$92.8

-83.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$56.1 A$80.7

-54.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$10.38 A$14.93

14.84%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$14.18 A$20.40

-75.11%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$2,300 A$3,310

-81.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$23.0K A$33.0K

1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$78.0 A$112

-32.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$63.9 A$91.9

-46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$122 A$176

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$93.3 A$134

1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$979 A$1,408

-39.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$982 A$1,413

-69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$1,817 A$2,614

-28.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$1,842 A$2,650

-61.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$4,913 A$7,070

-4.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$3,961 A$5,701

-51.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$4,606 A$6,628

-89.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

5.91

46.19%

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 Bunbury: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Bunbury

$982 45% 230% $684

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Bunbury

$290 13.3% 39.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Bunbury

$161 7.4% 31.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Bunbury

$260 11.9% 120% $141

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Bunbury

$326 15% 414% $263

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Bunbury

$84 3.9% 159% $52

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Bunbury

$78 3.6% 367% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $979 in Bunbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bunbury pays 841% 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 $85.0 in Bunbury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $290 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇦🇺 Bunbury

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

07:09 7:09 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

75,196

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Bunbury 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bunbury

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 Bunbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 841% lower in Bunbury. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $979 in Bunbury. 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 $2,300 in Bunbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Bunbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,181 in Bunbury, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Bunbury. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bunbury, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bunbury 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Bunbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.