Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Da Nang: $859 and $863 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Da Nang $1,945

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 1% cheaper than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.30 ₫59.4K

-16.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.62 ₫508.0K

16.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.60 ₫119.1K

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.66 ₫43.0K

11.45%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.61 ₫15.7K

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.34 ₫8,877

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.34 ₫34.6K

-20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.36 ₫61.1K

-27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 ₫41.5K

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.21 ₫31.3K

-8.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.51 ₫39.1K

10.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$12.90 ₫333.9K

-6.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.29 ₫111.1K

-14.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.06 ₫234.6K

13.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.73 ₫70.6K

8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.29 ₫33.4K

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.60 ₫41.3K

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.18 ₫30.4K

4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.33 ₫34.3K

-13.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.01 ₫26.1K

-26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.53 ₫13.7K

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-20.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.93 ₫205.2K

58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.88 ₫22.9K

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.12 ₫54.9K

-27.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.32 ₫8,182

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$4.99 ₫129.3K

130.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.05 ₫27.1K

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.55 ₫14.3K

21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$19.50 ₫504.8K

-84.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.95 ₫24.5K

1.05%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$30.9K ₫799.2M

0.64%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$28.0K ₫724.6M

8.46%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$76.6 ₫2.0M

33.17%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$6.47 ₫167.6K

-8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$8.08 ₫209.1K

29.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$24.98 ₫646.6K

2.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.35 ₫138.6K

122.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$3.07 ₫79.4K

14.98%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$161 ₫4.2M

170.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$15.2K ₫392.3M

53.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$45.38 ₫1.2M

16.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$27.22 ₫704.7K

25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$100 ₫2.6M

-9.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$80.9 ₫2.1M

17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$529 ₫13.7M

11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$349 ₫9.0M

-14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$1,053 ₫27.3M

22.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$811 ₫21.0M

-12.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,834 ₫99.3M

21.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,308 ₫33.9M

45.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$363 ₫9.4M

34.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

10.72

-19.40%

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 Da Nang: 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%

Da Nang

$349 40.4% 17.2% $51

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Da Nang

$201 23.2% 3.3% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Da Nang

$114 13.2% 6.8% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Da Nang

$91 10.6% 23% $27

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Da Nang

$67 7.8% 6% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Da Nang

$31 3.6% 4.6% $1.5

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 39.5% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $529 in Da Nang. 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 35% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $201 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,245,200

💱 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

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Da Nang 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Da Nang

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 Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $863 in Da Nang – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,295 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Da Nang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $859, than in Da Nang at $863. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Da Nang it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to $863 in Da Nang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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