Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $426 in Dhaka.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $735 in Dhaka.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 101% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.2K

$2.49 ৳306

-23.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.7K

$13.06 ৳1,605

78.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫121.0K

$4.83 ৳594

-3.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.34 ৳287

-20.94%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.30 ৳37.39

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,860

$0.16 ৳19.96

112.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$0.80 ৳98.1

97.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$0.65 ৳79.3

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.71 ৳87.3

39.44%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.21 ৳149

32.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.7K

$8.67 ৳1,065

41.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.21 ৳395

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.3K

$6.70 ৳823

55.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.73 ৳335

13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$0.88 ৳109

43.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.37 ৳291

-33.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$0.65 ৳79.6

93.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.24 ৳29.20

387.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$0.49 ৳60.7

134.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.32 ৳38.88

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.30 ৳37.31

80.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$3.23 ৳396

-62.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,252

$0.42 ৳52.1

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫301.0K

$22.54 ৳2,770

-48.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.19 ৳147

-38.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.40 ৳48.60

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$3.35 ৳411

-5.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.15 ৳141

-17.39%

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

$30.7K ₫795.9M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

1.48%

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

$30.6K ₫791.9M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-7.41%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$46.32 ৳5,692

120.85%

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

$5.65 ₫146.2K

$4.33 ৳532

30.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.3K

$10.63 ৳1,306

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.5K

$16.37 ৳2,012

57.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫306.1K

$16.14 ৳1,983

-26.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$4.13 ৳508

-17.92%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$90.7 ৳11.1K

382.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.3M

$2,649 ৳325.5K

779.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$16.48 ৳2,025

212.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.6K

$21.00 ৳2,580

64.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$50.3 ৳6,175

81.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$36.46 ৳4,480

160.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$152 ৳18.6K

280.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$73.6 ৳9,044

296.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$436 ৳53.6K

196.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$214 ৳26.3K

235.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$1,622 ৳199.3K

190.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$761 ৳93.5K

147.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$249 ৳30.6K

95.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

10.48

-17.56%

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 Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 74.8% $219

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 40.4% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Dhaka

$56 13% 54.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 48.3% $57

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Dhaka

$64 15% 1.3% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 24.5% $8

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 64.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 95% 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: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Dhaka 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 95% 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 $152 in Dhaka. 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 $426 in Dhaka – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 94% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Dhaka 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 Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.