Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ende: $604 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Ende, Indonesia
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$853
/mo nomad
Ende
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$604
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $604 in Ende, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
  • Ende $604

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $972 in Ende, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
  • Ende $972

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,339 in Ende, rent included.

  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
  • Ende $1,339

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 41% more than Ende, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Ende are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Ende 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.91 ₫49.3K
$1.44 Rp 26.2K
32.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.93 ₫592.4K
$15.61 Rp 283.7K
46.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.69 ₫121.2K
$3.07 Rp 55.8K
52.77%
Cappuccino
$1.80 ₫46.5K
$1.55 Rp 28.2K
16.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₫14.3K
$0.43 Rp 7,884
27.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,812
$0.22 Rp 3,966
54.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 ₫26.7K
$2.40 Rp 43.6K
-57.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₫44.4K
$3.28 Rp 59.6K
-47.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 ₫43.1K
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
49.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 ₫28.2K
$0.93 Rp 16.9K
17.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.06 ₫27.3K
$0.72 Rp 13.1K
47.22%
Eggs
$1.60 ₫41.3K
$1.38 Rp 25.2K
15.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.08 ₫312.1K
$7.69 Rp 139.7K
57.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 ₫94.5K
$2.59 Rp 47.1K
41.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.35 ₫267.3K
$7.02 Rp 127.7K
47.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 ₫77.7K
$2.06 Rp 37.4K
46.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₫32.6K
$1.40 Rp 25.5K
-10.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 ₫41.9K
$1.65 Rp 29.9K
-1.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 ₫32.7K
$1.04 Rp 19.0K
22.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 ₫30.5K
$1.12 Rp 20.4K
5.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 ₫30.7K
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
-39.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 ₫20.1K
$0.91 Rp 16.6K
-14.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₫14.3K
$0.37 Rp 6,792
48.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.26 ₫32.5K
$2.51 Rp 45.6K
-49.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.85 ₫331.9K
$19.00 Rp 345.2K
-32.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₫23.1K
$1.59 Rp 28.9K
-43.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 ₫37.6K
$2.56 Rp 46.5K
-42.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 ₫7,260
$0.23 Rp 4,241
21.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.42 ₫295.0K
$11.72 Rp 213.0K
-2.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 ₫18.2K
$0.46 Rp 8,330
52.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₫16.3K
$0.29 Rp 5,276
117.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 ₫79.8K
$2.55 Rp 46.4K
21.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 ₫24.6K
$0.77 Rp 14.0K
23.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K ₫788.3M
$23.3K Rp 424.1M
30.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K ₫767.8M
$27.2K Rp 493.9M
9.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 ₫2.6M
$61.3 Rp 1.1M
66.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.65 ₫145.8K
$4.19 Rp 76.1K
34.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.43 ₫269.5K
$17.13 Rp 311.4K
-39.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.30 ₫498.7K
$20.01 Rp 363.7K
-3.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.81 ₫305.1K
$8.40 Rp 152.7K
40.60%
Cinema Ticket
$3.83 ₫98.9K
$2.56 Rp 46.4K
49.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$484 ₫12.5M
$102 Rp 1.9M
374.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.3K ₫602.3M
$7,365 Rp 133.8M
216.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.3 ₫1.4M
$38.25 Rp 695.1K
36.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.35 ₫887.3K
$31.29 Rp 568.7K
9.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.3 ₫2.4M
$69.9 Rp 1.3M
31.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.2 ₫2.4M
$74.4 Rp 1.4M
26.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$647 ₫16.7M
$209 Rp 3.8M
209.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$297 ₫7.7M
$142 Rp 2.6M
109.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,291 ₫33.3M
$524 Rp 9.5M
146.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$719 ₫18.6M
$355 Rp 6.5M
102.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,327 ₫111.8M
$1,080 Rp 19.6M
300.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,987 ₫51.3M
$721 Rp 13.1M
175.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ende
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$490 ₫12.7M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.64
9.46
-8.67%

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 Ende: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$297
Ende
$142 52.3% $155
Groceries & Markets
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$208
Ende
$183 12% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$123
Ende
$96 21.7% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$118
Ende
$83 30.2% $36
Eating Out
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$63
Ende
$61 4.1% $2.6
Sport & Entertainment
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$27
Ende
$25 6.8% $1.8
Getting Around
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$16
Ende
$15 11.2% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $209 in Ende. 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 $16 in Ende. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $183 – making Ende the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇮🇩 Ende
🕒 Local time
01:02 1:02 AM
02:02 2:02 AM
1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,456,700
60,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ende 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
  • Ende

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 Ende: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ende cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $906 in Ende. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ende, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 3% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $102 in Ende. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Ende?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $604 in Ende, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Ende more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ende – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

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