Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Denpasar, Bali: $855 and $896 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Denpasar, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Denpasar, Bali $896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,522 in Denpasar, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Denpasar, Bali $1,522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,148 in Denpasar, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Denpasar, Bali $2,148

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 5% less than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Denpasar, Bali 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.2K

$2.20 Rp 39.4K

-13.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.7K

$23.17 Rp 414.6K

0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫121.0K

$3.91 Rp 70.0K

19.44%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

5.71%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.08 Rp 19.3K

-48.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,860

$0.51 Rp 9,211

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

-44.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.98 Rp 53.3K

-43.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.28 Rp 22.8K

23.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.87 Rp 33.4K

-44.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

-1.98%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

-8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.7K

$13.76 Rp 246.1K

-11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.20 Rp 57.2K

10.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.3K

$9.61 Rp 171.9K

8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.95 Rp 52.9K

4.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.26 Rp 22.5K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

-13.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

-19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

-23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.96 Rp 35.0K

-41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.43 Rp 7,743

25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.85 Rp 33.1K

-34.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.9K

$18.22 Rp 326.0K

-32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.94 Rp 34.7K

-49.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.6K

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-37.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,252

$0.24 Rp 4,304

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫301.0K

$7.17 Rp 128.3K

62.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.40 Rp 7,112

82.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.42 Rp 7,428

52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$3.12 Rp 55.9K

1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

26.67%

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

$30.7K ₫795.9M

$21.5K Rp 384.3M

43.11%

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

$30.6K ₫791.9M

$28.0K Rp 501.7M

9.08%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$72.7 Rp 1.3M

40.72%

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

$5.65 ₫146.2K

$5.91 Rp 105.7K

-4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.3K

$16.47 Rp 294.6K

-36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.5K

$39.87 Rp 713.2K

-35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫306.1K

$12.71 Rp 227.4K

-7.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$3.01 Rp 53.8K

12.62%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$381 Rp 6.8M

14.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.3M

$4,359 Rp 78.0M

434.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$39.61 Rp 708.5K

30.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.6K

$29.69 Rp 531.2K

16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

34.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$68.1 Rp 1.2M

39.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$594 Rp 10.6M

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$353 Rp 6.3M

-17.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$1,822 Rp 32.6M

-29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$915 Rp 16.4M

-21.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$1,461 Rp 26.1M

222.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,189 Rp 21.3M

58.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$284 Rp 5.1M

70.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

13.78

-37.30%

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 Denpasar, Bali: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Denpasar, Bali

$353 39.1% 20.8% $61

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$234 25.9% 13.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2% 24.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Denpasar, Bali

$95 10.5% 19.7% $23

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8% 13.2% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1% 40.6% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.2% 36.5% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $594 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $234 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

11:00 11:00 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

788,445

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Denpasar, Bali 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Denpasar, Bali

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 Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Denpasar, Bali differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($855 vs $896 including rent). Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $594 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali – a 5% 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 62% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Denpasar, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Denpasar, Bali 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 5% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.