Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Pha: $800 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Cam Pha
Learn more

Cam Pha Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Cam Pha

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $800 in Cam Pha.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Cam Pha $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,249 in Cam Pha.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Cam Pha $1,249

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,697 in Cam Pha.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Cam Pha $1,697

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 8% more expensive than in Cam Pha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Cam Pha 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.04 ₫52.9K

-2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$23.19 ₫600.5K

-0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.30 ₫111.4K

10.70%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.91 ₫49.5K

-2.62%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.52 ₫13.4K

-1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.33 ₫8,600

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.94 ₫50.3K

-11.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.49 ₫38.5K

6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.12 ₫29.0K

-2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.74 ₫19.3K

41.89%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.44 ₫37.2K

13.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$12.10 ₫313.3K

1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.75 ₫97.1K

-4.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.77 ₫252.8K

8.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$3.46 ₫89.5K

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

22.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.38 ₫35.9K

17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.15 ₫29.9K

13.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.99 ₫25.6K

20.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.08 ₫28.0K

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.58 ₫15.1K

25.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.52 ₫13.4K

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$1.37 ₫35.6K

-6.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$12.58 ₫325.8K

-0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.95 ₫24.7K

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.30 ₫7,895

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$7.44 ₫192.6K

53.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.78 ₫20.3K

-12.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.55 ₫14.3K

12.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.30 ₫59.4K

30.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.94 ₫24.4K

-3.19%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$30.5K ₫789.0M

0.30%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$28.7K ₫742.3M

2.40%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$85.0 ₫2.2M

22.13%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$5.15 ₫133.3K

12.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$8.93 ₫231.1K

17.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$22.75 ₫588.9K

14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$8.07 ₫209.0K

47.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$4.62 ₫119.5K

-15.80%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$190 ₫4.9M

131.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$13.7K ₫354.2M

75.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$48.66 ₫1.3M

4.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$26.67 ₫690.4K

31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$84.6 ₫2.2M

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$79.3 ₫2.1M

21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$466 ₫12.1M

25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$284 ₫7.4M

4.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$843 ₫21.8M

54.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$554 ₫14.3M

31.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,379 ₫61.6M

101.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,391 ₫36.0M

33.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.28

4.35%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for Cam Pha: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Cam Pha

$284 35.5% 4.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Cam Pha

$201 25.1% 3.3% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Cam Pha

$108 13.5% 12.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Cam Pha

$99 12.4% 17.5% $21

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Cam Pha

$65 8.1% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Cam Pha

$32 4% 5.6% $1.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Cam Pha

$12 1.5% 25% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $466 in Cam Pha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23.00 in Cam Pha. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $201, with Cam Pha cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Cam Pha

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

182,137

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Cam Pha 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Cam Pha

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 Cam Pha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,201 in Cam Pha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $466 in Cam Pha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 54% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $440 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $190 in Cam Pha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $800 in Cam Pha versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Pha but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Cam Pha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Pha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $800 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Pha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Cam Pha 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 Cam Pha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.