Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $853 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 9% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$2.24 ฿75.6

-14.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫591.8K

$19.00 ฿641

20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.0K

$5.55 ฿187

-15.50%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.4K

$1.67 ฿56.5

7.78%

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

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.64 ฿21.54

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,802

$0.31 ฿10.31

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$2.36 ฿79.5

-56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$3.66 ฿124

-53.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.0K

$1.95 ฿65.7

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.44 ฿48.46

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.2K

$1.33 ฿45.03

-20.30%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$2.28 ฿77.1

-29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫311.8K

$16.45 ฿555

-26.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.4K

$2.78 ฿93.9

31.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.0K

$9.31 ฿314

11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$2.35 ฿79.4

28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$0.97 ฿32.79

29.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.60 ฿53.9

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.28 ฿43.11

-7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$1.10 ฿37.18

8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.71 ฿23.82

9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.49 ฿16.36

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$4.14 ฿140

-69.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.5K

$17.52 ฿591

-26.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$1.61 ฿54.5

-44.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.78 ฿93.9

-47.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,252

$0.87 ฿29.30

-67.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫294.7K

$54.1 ฿1,825

-78.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$1.16 ฿39.04

-39.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.2K

$0.53 ฿17.80

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.7K

$2.42 ฿81.7

27.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$1.45 ฿48.88

-34.48%

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

$30.5K ₫787.4M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

44.90%

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

$29.7K ₫767.0M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

10.33%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$62.2 ฿2,098

64.42%

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

$5.65 ₫145.7K

$12.17 ฿411

-53.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.2K

$20.12 ฿679

-48.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.1K

$37.31 ฿1,259

-48.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫304.8K

$3.77 ฿127

213.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.8K

$6.49 ฿219

-40.99%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$736 ฿24.8K

-34.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫601.6M

$14.8K ฿498.2K

57.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.3M

$53.4 ฿1,801

-2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫886.3K

$24.64 ฿831

39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$91.5 ฿3,087

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$71.9 ฿2,427

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$482 ฿16.3K

34.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$309 ฿10.4K

-3.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

28.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$633 ฿21.4K

13.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.6M

$2,363 ฿79.7K

83.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

25.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.6M

$590 ฿19.9K

-16.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

5.57

55.12%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 4% $12

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 12.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 11.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 20.2% $24

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 22.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 86.5% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 274% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Chiang Mai 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs $853 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.