Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $1,138 in Douliu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Douliu despite lower rent and utilities.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
Learn more

Douliu Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Douliu $2,650

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 25% cheaper than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Douliu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.85 NT$125

-50.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$22.40 NT$726

1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.81 NT$189

-21.86%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.40 NT$110

-45.59%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.94 NT$30.58

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.67 NT$21.86

-52.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.79 NT$90.4

-62.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.73 NT$121

-53.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$3.09 NT$100

-46.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.01 NT$65.1

-44.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$3.17 NT$103

-68.45%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.76 NT$89.4

-39.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$19.44 NT$631

-37.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$9.97 NT$323

-63.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$21.44 NT$695

-52.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$4.79 NT$155

-38.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.29 NT$107

-62.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.08 NT$99.9

-49.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$4.34 NT$141

-70.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.82 NT$91.3

-56.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.34 NT$75.9

-50.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.71 NT$55.6

-56.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.10 NT$35.65

-49.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.85 NT$125

-67.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$14.46 NT$469

-12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.63 NT$52.9

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.31 NT$75.0

-33.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.61 NT$19.89

-57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$35.53 NT$1,152

-67.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$2.66 NT$86.3

-71.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.77 NT$24.82

-12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.46 NT$307

-67.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.03 NT$33.56

-6.80%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-8.61%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$24.0K NT$777.6K

26.60%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$86.6 NT$2,807

17.83%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.15 NT$556

-65.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.79 NT$901

-62.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$36.37 NT$1,179

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$9.54 NT$309

-63.00%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$663 NT$21.5K

-34.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$17.0K NT$550.7K

37.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$64.5 NT$2,091

-18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$40.75 NT$1,321

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$85.0 NT$2,756

6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$105 NT$3,408

-9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$404 NT$13.1K

45.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$257 NT$8,334

15.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$982 NT$31.8K

31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$730 NT$23.7K

-2.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$7,836 NT$254.1K

-40.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$4,924 NT$159.7K

-61.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$2,544 NT$82.5K

-80.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

2.4

260.00%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Douliu

$257 22.6% 13.7% $41

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Douliu

$400 35.1% 92.9% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Douliu

$133 11.7% 8.5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Douliu

$132 11.6% 11.1% $13

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Douliu

$117 10.3% 84.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Douliu

$55 4.9% 70.1% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Douliu

$44 3.9% 167% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $404 in Douliu. 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 420% higher in Douliu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $22.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $400 in Douliu – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇹🇼 Douliu

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

11:41 11:41 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

108,401

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Douliu 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Douliu

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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Douliu costs about 33% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $22.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,138 in Douliu. That's a gap of about 33%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $859, than in Douliu at $1,138. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douliu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs $859 versus $1,138 in Douliu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Douliu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.