Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Darkhan: $655 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Darkhan
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Darkhan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Darkhan

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $655 in Darkhan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Darkhan $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,075 in Darkhan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Darkhan $1,075

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,496 in Darkhan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Darkhan $1,496

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 31% more expensive than in Darkhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Darkhan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$5.46 MNT 19.6K

-65.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$31.74 MNT 114.0K

-26.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

-16.90%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.39 MNT 8,575

-22.59%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.87 MNT 3,140

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.57 MNT 2,065

-40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$2.35 MNT 8,427

-57.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$3.41 MNT 12.3K

-50.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.44 MNT 5,184

9.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.02 MNT 3,653

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$2.06 MNT 7,389

-51.94%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.16 MNT 7,750

-25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$12.46 MNT 44.8K

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$4.87 MNT 17.5K

-27.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$7.44 MNT 26.7K

40.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.21 MNT 11.5K

-3.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.39 MNT 8,592

-47.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$3.84 MNT 13.8K

-59.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.07 MNT 11.0K

-58.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.71 MNT 2,567

64.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.05 MNT 3,772

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$1.71 MNT 6,146

-57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.73 MNT 2,626

-26.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.67 MNT 5,985

-26.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$10.29 MNT 37.0K

19.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.43 MNT 5,126

-31.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.80 MNT 6,455

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.55 MNT 1,967

32.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.54 MNT 1,950

18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

-51.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.07 MNT 3,852

-11.21%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$27.3K MNT 98.2M

12.47%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$35.4K MNT 127.4M

-13.71%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$70.6 MNT 253.8K

44.84%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$7.68 MNT 27.6K

-26.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$13.82 MNT 49.7K

-23.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

-20.05%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$831 MNT 3.0M

-47.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$8,568 MNT 30.8M

171.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$83.5 MNT 299.8K

-38.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$45.49 MNT 163.5K

-24.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$103 MNT 371.8K

-11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$185 MNT 665.6K

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

10.32

-16.28%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Darkhan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Darkhan

$238 37% 15.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Darkhan

$188 29.2% 53.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Darkhan

$92 14.3% 22.2% $26

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Darkhan

$114 17.7% 78.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Darkhan

$8.5 * 1.3% 74% $24

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Darkhan

$3.3 * 0.5% 80.5% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $32.00 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $238 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇳 Darkhan

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

74,738

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Darkhan 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Darkhan

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 Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,283 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $983 in Darkhan 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.

Childcare runs $438 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $831 in Darkhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $655 in Darkhan versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Darkhan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $655 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Darkhan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Darkhan 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 Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.