Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Xoai: $784 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Dong Xoai
Learn more

Dong Xoai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Dong Xoai

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $784 in Dong Xoai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Dong Xoai $784

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,254 in Dong Xoai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Dong Xoai $1,254

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,724 in Dong Xoai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Dong Xoai $1,724

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 9% more than Dong Xoai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Dong Xoai are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Dong Xoai 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$2.04 ₫52.7K

-6.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$19.01 ₫491.0K

20.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$4.39 ₫113.4K

6.83%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.71 ₫44.3K

5.26%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.54 ₫14.1K

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.33 ₫8,595

3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.86 ₫22.3K

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.50 ₫38.8K

14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.55 ₫40.1K

7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.07 ₫27.6K

1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.04 ₫26.8K

1.92%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.49 ₫38.5K

7.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$12.30 ₫317.7K

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$3.81 ₫98.5K

-3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$9.67 ₫249.9K

7.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$2.99 ₫77.2K

0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.10 ₫28.4K

14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.38 ₫35.6K

17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.22 ₫31.6K

4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.00 ₫25.9K

18.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$1.13 ₫29.2K

5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.67 ₫17.2K

16.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.57 ₫14.6K

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.39 ₫36.0K

-9.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$11.60 ₫299.6K

10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$0.90 ₫23.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.66 ₫42.8K

-12.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.34 ₫8,886

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$6.52 ₫168.5K

75.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$0.76 ₫19.5K

-7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.60 ₫15.5K

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$2.52 ₫65.2K

22.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.93 ₫24.1K

2.15%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$31.3K ₫807.6M

-2.40%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$28.4K ₫734.8M

4.50%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$78.3 ₫2.0M

30.50%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$5.93 ₫153.3K

-4.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$8.75 ₫226.0K

19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$23.21 ₫599.5K

-16.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$7.54 ₫194.7K

56.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$3.33 ₫86.1K

15.02%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$191 ₫4.9M

153.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$13.9K ₫358.4M

68.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$46.29 ₫1.2M

12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$26.86 ₫693.9K

27.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$83.4 ₫2.2M

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$78.6 ₫2.0M

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$413 ₫10.7M

56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$282 ₫7.3M

5.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$798 ₫20.6M

61.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$625 ₫16.2M

15.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$2,258 ₫58.3M

91.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,202 ₫31.0M

65.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.28

4.35%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Dong Xoai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Dong Xoai

$282 36% 5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Dong Xoai

$200 25.6% 3.7% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Dong Xoai

$106 13.5% 13.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Dong Xoai

$93 11.9% 21.4% $25

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Dong Xoai

$61 7.8% 3.5% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Dong Xoai

$30 3.8% 10.8% $2.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Dong Xoai

$12 1.5% 28.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $413 in Dong Xoai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $19 in Dong Xoai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $200 – making Dong Xoai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Dong Xoai

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

168,000

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Dong Xoai 87 km

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Dong Xoai

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 Dong Xoai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $784 in Dong Xoai – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,176 in Dong Xoai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dong Xoai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $413 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Monthly expenses with rent come to $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $784 in Dong Xoai. That’s a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Dong Xoai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $784 in Dong Xoai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Dong Xoai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Dong Xoai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 9% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.