Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Ranh: $740 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

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 Cam Ranh
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Cam Ranh Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Cam Ranh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $740 in Cam Ranh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Cam Ranh $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,235 in Cam Ranh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Cam Ranh $1,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,730 in Cam Ranh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Cam Ranh $1,730

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cam Ranh, 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 Ranh 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.60 ₫67.3K

-23.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$23.57 ₫610.2K

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.69 ₫121.4K

1.49%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.64 ₫42.4K

13.41%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.40 ₫10.3K

27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.21 ₫5,434

52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.60 ₫15.5K

71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.23 ₫31.8K

39.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.48 ₫38.2K

6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$0.44 ₫11.5K

147.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.00 ₫25.8K

5.00%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.42 ₫36.8K

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$12.20 ₫315.8K

1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.03 ₫78.5K

18.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$11.05 ₫286.0K

-4.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.95 ₫50.6K

52.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$0.77 ₫19.9K

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.11 ₫28.7K

45.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.22 ₫31.6K

7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.77 ₫20.0K

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.68 ₫17.6K

67.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.79 ₫20.5K

-7.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.41 ₫10.7K

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$1.51 ₫39.1K

-15.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$11.53 ₫298.4K

8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.78 ₫46.1K

-16.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.31 ₫7,958

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$6.84 ₫177.1K

67.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.56 ₫14.4K

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.59 ₫15.3K

5.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.80 ₫72.6K

7.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.86 ₫22.2K

5.81%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$31.1K ₫805.6M

-1.76%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$27.7K ₫717.3M

5.98%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$78.3 ₫2.0M

32.55%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$6.66 ₫172.4K

-13.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$9.39 ₫243.1K

11.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$23.25 ₫602.0K

12.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$6.95 ₫180.0K

71.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$1.90 ₫49.2K

104.74%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$216 ₫5.6M

103.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$3,892 ₫100.8M

517.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$41.36 ₫1.1M

23.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$23.76 ₫615.0K

48.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$48.42 ₫1.3M

90.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$83.9 ₫2.2M

14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$387 ₫10.0M

50.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$275 ₫7.1M

7.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$867 ₫22.4M

49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$692 ₫17.9M

5.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,143 ₫55.5M

123.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,234 ₫31.9M

50.19%

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 Ranh: 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 Ranh

$275 37.2% 7.1% $21

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Cam Ranh

$180 24.4% 13.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Cam Ranh

$89 12% 28.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Cam Ranh

$94 12.8% 21.4% $26

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Cam Ranh

$62 8.4% 3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Cam Ranh

$27 3.7% 20.1% $6.8

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Cam Ranh

$12 1.6% 28.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $387 in Cam Ranh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $24.00 in Cam Ranh. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $180, with Cam Ranh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Cam Ranh

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

220,630

💱 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

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Cam Ranh 300 km

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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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 Ranh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Ranh wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Ranh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,110 in Cam Ranh 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 $387 in Cam Ranh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $740 in Cam Ranh – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Ranh runs roughly 67% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $740 in Cam Ranh versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Ranh but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Cam Ranh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Ranh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $740 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Ranh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Cam Ranh 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 Ranh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.