Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $1,067 in Chiayi, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Chiayi despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,067 in Chiayi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Chiayi $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,503 in Chiayi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Chiayi $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,940 in Chiayi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Chiayi $1,940

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 20% less than in Chiayi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Chiayi 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.83 NT$157

-60.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$46.84 NT$1,519

-51.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.70 NT$185

-20.35%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.36 NT$109

-44.94%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.88 NT$28.58

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.67 NT$21.68

-52.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.85 NT$92.4

-62.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.80 NT$123

-54.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$3.10 NT$101

-46.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.06 NT$66.8

-46.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$3.04 NT$98.6

-67.11%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.66 NT$86.3

-37.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$19.77 NT$641

-38.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$9.75 NT$316

-62.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$20.98 NT$680

-51.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$4.87 NT$158

-39.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.22 NT$104

-61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.99 NT$97.0

-47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$4.55 NT$148

-71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.80 NT$90.9

-56.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.35 NT$76.3

-51.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.68 NT$54.3

-55.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.14 NT$37.04

-50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.01 NT$130

-69.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$4.66 NT$151

170.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.65 NT$53.7

-41.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.18 NT$70.8

-29.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.43 NT$403

-7.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$2.64 NT$85.5

-71.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.46 NT$14.94

45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.66 NT$313

-68.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.06 NT$34.43

-9.43%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$32.9K NT$1.1M

-5.44%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$24.5K NT$795.8K

23.70%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$66.7 NT$2,164

52.80%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.52 NT$568

-66.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.93 NT$873

-61.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$31.82 NT$1,032

-19.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$9.84 NT$319

-64.13%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$660 NT$21.4K

-33.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$16.8K NT$543.4K

38.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$62.3 NT$2,020

-15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$39.44 NT$1,279

-13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$85.2 NT$2,763

5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$104 NT$3,383

-8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$369 NT$12.0K

59.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$253 NT$8,194

17.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,179 NT$103.1K

47.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,910 NT$61.9K

-0.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$2,110 NT$68.4K

-76.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

2.4

260.00%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Chiayi

$253 23.7% 15.2% $45

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Chiayi

$379 35.5% 83% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Chiayi

$131 12.3% 7% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Chiayi

$111 10.4% 6.1% $7.2

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Chiayi

$124 11.6% 95.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Chiayi

$51 4.8% 57.9% $19

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6% 4.3% $0.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $369 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 331% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $47.00 in Chiayi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $379 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

14:28 2:28 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

269,874

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Chiayi 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chiayi

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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Chiayi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 331% lower in Chiayi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $369 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,067 in Chiayi – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 8% less than in Chiayi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,067 in Chiayi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Chiayi. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Chiayi 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Chiayi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.