Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ca Mau: $733 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Ca Mau
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Ca Mau Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Ca Mau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $850 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $733 in Ca Mau, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Ca Mau $733

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,201 in Ca Mau, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Ca Mau $1,201

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,669 in Ca Mau, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Ca Mau $1,669

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 16% more than Ca Mau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Ca Mau are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Ca Mau 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.8K

$2.23 ₫57.3K

-4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.7K

$18.03 ₫464.5K

29.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$3.72 ₫95.7K

22.31%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.50 ₫38.6K

18.67%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$0.52 ₫13.3K

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,213

$0.34 ₫8,785

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$0.93 ₫23.9K

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$1.36 ₫35.0K

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.56 ₫40.1K

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$0.94 ₫24.2K

26.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$0.92 ₫23.6K

11.96%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.43 ₫36.9K

16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.2K

$10.59 ₫272.8K

15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.35 ₫86.3K

5.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.1K

$9.62 ₫247.7K

6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$3.09 ₫79.6K

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.06 ₫27.3K

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$1.40 ₫36.0K

2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.17 ₫30.2K

4.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$0.98 ₫25.2K

22.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.34 ₫34.5K

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

17.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.53 ₫39.4K

-19.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.6K

$8.68 ₫223.6K

33.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.89 ₫22.9K

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$1.65 ₫42.6K

-10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,233

$0.30 ₫7,818

-6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.2K

$7.64 ₫196.9K

52.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$0.79 ₫20.2K

-3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$0.54 ₫13.8K

14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$2.45 ₫63.1K

27.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$0.94 ₫24.2K

-4.26%

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

$30.9K ₫796.1M

$32.3K ₫833.3M

-4.46%

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

$29.6K ₫762.3M

$24.4K ₫628.0M

21.38%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$77.9 ₫2.0M

28.18%

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

$5.75 ₫148.1K

$5.14 ₫132.5K

11.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫265.0K

$7.54 ₫194.1K

36.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.3K

$20.34 ₫524.0K

-10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.2K

$7.88 ₫202.9K

54.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.4K

$2.87 ₫73.9K

35.89%

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

$530 ₫13.7M

$372 ₫9.6M

42.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫686.2M

$14.7K ₫379.6M

80.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$46.95 ₫1.2M

12.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.5K

$25.04 ₫645.0K

39.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$89.0 ₫2.3M

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$67.7 ₫1.7M

41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$416 ₫10.7M

48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$258 ₫6.7M

15.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$667 ₫17.2M

96.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$626 ₫16.1M

13.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$2,345 ₫60.4M

88.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$1,362 ₫35.1M

47.71%

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 Ca Mau: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35%

Ca Mau

$258 35.3% 13.1% $39

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Ca Mau

$185 25.2% 9.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Ca Mau

$103 14% 17.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Ca Mau

$91 12.4% 21.8% $25

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Ca Mau

$58 7.9% 10.1% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Ca Mau

$26 3.6% 0.4% $0.1

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Ca Mau

$12 1.7% 25.6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $416 in Ca Mau. 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 $18 in Ca Mau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $185 – making Ca Mau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Ca Mau

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

226,372

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ca Mau 250 km

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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 Ca Mau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,275 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,100 in Ca Mau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ca Mau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Public transport costs about 34% less in Ca Mau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $372 in Ca Mau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $733 in Ca Mau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ca Mau – 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, Ca Mau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.