Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$855
/mo nomad
Delhi
🇮🇳 India
$520
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
  • Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
  • Delhi $858

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
  • Delhi $1,195

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 64% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.90 ₫49.2K
$3.67 ₹355
-48.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.32 ₫603.7K
$20.95 ₹2,027
11.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.67 ₫121.0K
$3.74 ₹362
24.87%
Cappuccino
$1.85 ₫48.0K
$2.33 ₹226
-20.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₫14.4K
$0.37 ₹35.82
51.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,860
$0.20 ₹18.91
70.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.01 ₫26.2K
$2.02 ₹195
-50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 ₫43.7K
$3.19 ₹308
-47.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₫40.8K
$0.68 ₹65.9
132.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.04 ₫27.0K
$0.52 ₹50.2
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ₫25.7K
$0.83 ₹80.0
19.28%
Eggs
$1.60 ₫41.5K
$1.07 ₹104
49.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.23 ₫316.7K
$4.43 ₹428
176.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.54 ₫91.7K
$3.37 ₹326
5.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.44 ₫270.3K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 ₫79.9K
$1.99 ₹192
55.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₫32.5K
$0.72 ₹70.1
75.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 ₫40.6K
$1.02 ₹98.4
53.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 ₫32.5K
$0.52 ₹50.1
142.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 ₫30.4K
$0.27 ₹25.96
333.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 ₫29.7K
$0.37 ₹35.42
210.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ₫18.7K
$0.43 ₹41.64
67.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₫14.0K
$0.31 ₹30.39
74.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.22 ₫31.5K
$4.92 ₹476
-75.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.28 ₫317.9K
$8.34 ₹808
47.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 ₫25.4K
$1.64 ₹159
-40.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 ₫38.6K
$2.70 ₹261
-44.81%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$6.15 ₹596
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 ₫7,252
$0.46 ₹44.04
-39.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.62 ₫301.0K
$15.29 ₹1,480
-24.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 ₫18.9K
$1.03 ₹99.8
-29.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₫16.7K
$0.27 ₹26.38
137.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 ₫82.0K
$1.53 ₹148
107.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 ₫24.6K
$1.05 ₹102
-9.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K ₫795.9M
$10.5K ₹1.0M
193.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K ₫791.9M
$18.4K ₹1.8M
66.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 ₫2.6M
$42.67 ₹4,129
139.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.65 ₫146.2K
$4.04 ₹391
39.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.52 ₫272.3K
$6.75 ₹653
55.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.86 ₫669.5K
$19.40 ₹1,878
33.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.82 ₫306.1K
$8.06 ₹780
46.65%
Cinema Ticket
$3.39 ₫87.8K
$5.08 ₹492
-33.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$438 ₫11.3M
$100 ₹9,696
336.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.3K ₫603.3M
$2,268 ₹219.5K
927.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.5 ₫1.3M
$24.14 ₹2,336
113.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.56 ₫894.6K
$28.38 ₹2,747
21.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 ₫2.4M
$53.3 ₹5,160
71.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.9 ₫2.5M
$44.13 ₹4,271
115.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$577 ₫14.9M
$264 ₹25.5K
118.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$292 ₫7.6M
$154 ₹14.9K
89.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,293 ₫33.5M
$736 ₹71.2K
75.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 ₫18.6M
$397 ₹38.5K
80.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,714 ₫122.0M
$2,494 ₹241.4K
89.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,882 ₫48.7M
$1,017 ₹98.4K
85.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Delhi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$486 ₫12.6M
$585 ₹56.7K
-17.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.64
8.33
3.72%

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 Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$292
Delhi
$154 47.3% $138
Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$206
Delhi
$108 47.5% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$123
Delhi
$67 44.9% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$118
Delhi
$53 54.9% $65
Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$63
Delhi
$87 37.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$33
Delhi
$30 9.4% $3.1
Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$17
Delhi
$20 16.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $264 in Delhi. 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 21% higher in Delhi, 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 $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $108 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇮🇳 Delhi
🕒 Local time
09:40 9:40 AM
08:10 8:10 AM
1 h 30 min behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,456,700
16,787,941 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,037 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Delhi 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
  • Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Delhi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $520 in Delhi – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) compared to Delhi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Delhi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Delhi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 64%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $855. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Delhi?
It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Delhi safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Delhi?
If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs other spots: cost of living compared

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