Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Lat: $612 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Da Lat

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $612 in Da Lat.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Da Lat $612

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $917 in Da Lat.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Da Lat $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,221 in Da Lat.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Da Lat $1,221

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 39% more expensive than in Da Lat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Da Lat 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$2.24 ₫57.9K

-14.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$15.77 ₫407.3K

45.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$5.17 ₫133.5K

-9.28%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.66 ₫43.0K

8.43%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.58 ₫15.1K

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.31 ₫7,967

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.87 ₫22.4K

18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.56 ₫40.4K

10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.58 ₫40.9K

5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-13.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.21 ₫31.3K

-12.40%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.64 ₫42.4K

-2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$7.52 ₫194.3K

60.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$4.07 ₫105.1K

-10.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$4.47 ₫115.4K

131.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$4.14 ₫106.9K

-27.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.81 ₫46.8K

-30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$3.23 ₫83.3K

-49.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.61 ₫41.5K

-21.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.75 ₫45.1K

-32.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$1.56 ₫40.2K

-23.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.70 ₫18.2K

11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.52 ₫13.5K

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.69 ₫43.7K

-25.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$8.12 ₫209.8K

58.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$0.48 ₫12.5K

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.15 ₫55.6K

-32.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.34 ₫8,776

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$0.57 ₫14.7K

22.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$1.08 ₫27.9K

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.84 ₫21.6K

13.10%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$39.51 ₫1.0M

158.72%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$4.41 ₫113.9K

28.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$14.89 ₫384.6K

-29.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$12.83 ₫331.4K

50.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$1.89 ₫48.8K

102.65%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$289 ₫7.5M

123.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$276 ₫7.1M

7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$645 ₫16.6M

100.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$464 ₫12.0M

55.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$422 ₫10.9M

16.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

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 Da Lat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Da Lat

–

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Da Lat

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Da Lat

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Da Lat

–

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Da Lat

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Da Lat

–

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Da Lat

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $289 in Da Lat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 16% 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 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $16 in Da Lat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $189 per month, with Da Lat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Da Lat

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

258,014

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Da Lat 230 km

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Da Lat

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 Da Lat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Da Lat differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($853 vs $612 including rent). Da Lat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $289 in Da Lat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Da Lat – a meal for two runs $16 versus $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $612 in Da Lat – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Da Lat gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Da Lat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Da Lat wins on affordability, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.