Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Buon Ma Thuot

For one person, living is cheaper in Buon Ma Thuot: $792 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Buon Ma Thuot
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Buon Ma Thuot Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Buon Ma Thuot

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$792

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Buon Ma Thuot

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 Buon Ma Thuot actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $850 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $792 in Buon Ma Thuot, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Buon Ma Thuot $792

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,182 in Buon Ma Thuot, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Buon Ma Thuot $1,182

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,572 in Buon Ma Thuot, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Buon Ma Thuot $1,572

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 7% more than Buon Ma Thuot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Buon Ma Thuot are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Buon Ma Thuot 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.8K

$2.08 ₫53.6K

2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.7K

$11.47 ₫295.4K

104.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$4.16 ₫107.1K

9.37%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.01 ₫26.1K

76.24%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$0.34 ₫8,697

55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,213

$0.38 ₫9,775

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$1.23 ₫31.6K

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$1.29 ₫33.3K

31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.68 ₫43.2K

-1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$0.99 ₫25.5K

20.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$0.75 ₫19.4K

37.33%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.47 ₫37.9K

13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.2K

$13.38 ₫344.7K

-8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.45 ₫88.8K

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.1K

$10.41 ₫268.2K

-1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$3.26 ₫84.0K

-4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.11 ₫28.5K

9.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$1.30 ₫33.5K

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.13 ₫29.0K

7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$1.01 ₫25.9K

18.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.05 ₫27.0K

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.55 ₫14.0K

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.56 ₫14.5K

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.60 ₫41.2K

-23.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.6K

$8.50 ₫219.0K

35.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.77 ₫19.7K

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$1.61 ₫41.4K

-8.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,233

$0.32 ₫8,288

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.2K

$6.08 ₫156.6K

91.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$0.51 ₫13.2K

21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$2.54 ₫65.3K

22.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$0.99 ₫25.5K

-9.09%

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

$30.9K ₫796.1M

$33.3K ₫857.2M

-7.13%

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

$29.6K ₫762.3M

$28.7K ₫738.1M

3.27%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$77.0 ₫2.0M

29.66%

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

$5.75 ₫148.1K

$5.60 ₫144.3K

2.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫265.0K

$9.78 ₫251.9K

5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.3K

$22.61 ₫582.5K

-19.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.2K

$8.52 ₫219.6K

42.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.4K

$3.12 ₫80.3K

25.00%

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

$530 ₫13.7M

$351 ₫9.1M

50.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫686.2M

$15.6K ₫403.1M

70.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$48.54 ₫1.3M

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.5K

$29.52 ₫760.4K

18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$85.1 ₫2.2M

11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$69.6 ₫1.8M

37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$439 ₫11.3M

40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$307 ₫7.9M

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$646 ₫16.7M

102.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$536 ₫13.8M

32.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$2,137 ₫55.1M

107.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$1,304 ₫33.6M

54.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.17

5.75%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 31, 2026

Last update for Buon Ma Thuot: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35%

Buon Ma Thuot

$307 38.7% 3.2% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Buon Ma Thuot

$196 24.7% 4.4% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Buon Ma Thuot

$105 13.2% 16.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Buon Ma Thuot

$92 11.7% 20.3% $23

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Buon Ma Thuot

$53 6.7% 17.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Buon Ma Thuot

$29 3.6% 11.1% $2.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Buon Ma Thuot

$11 1.4% 35.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $439 in Buon Ma Thuot. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $11 in Buon Ma Thuot. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $196 – making Buon Ma Thuot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Buon Ma Thuot

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

245,951

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Buon Ma Thuot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $792 in Buon Ma Thuot – Buon Ma Thuot comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,275 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,188 in Buon Ma Thuot. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buon Ma Thuot, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $439 there versus $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $11 in Buon Ma Thuot. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $792 in Buon Ma Thuot. That makes Buon Ma Thuot about 7% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $792 in Buon Ma Thuot, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Buon Ma Thuot – 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.

For expats, Buon Ma Thuot is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 7% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.