Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $2,499 in Esperance, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Esperance
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Esperance Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Esperance

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,499 in Esperance, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Esperance $2,499

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $3,601 in Esperance, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Esperance $3,601

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $4,703 in Esperance, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Esperance $4,703

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 66% cheaper than Esperance, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) sits 36% below the global median, while Esperance is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$17.21 A$24.63

-88.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$84.8 A$121

-72.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$10.35 A$14.81

-54.88%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$3.97 A$5.68

-53.40%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$2.83 A$4.05

-80.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$2.19 A$3.14

-84.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$7.52 A$10.76

-86.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$7.86 A$11.26

-78.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.68 A$2.40

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$2.77 A$3.97

-62.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$2.17 A$3.11

-54.38%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$5.00 A$7.16

-68.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$9.69 A$13.86

26.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$9.02 A$12.91

-60.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$15.03 A$21.51

-30.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.68 A$5.26

-16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.00 A$4.29

-58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$3.28 A$4.70

-52.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$4.76 A$6.81

-73.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$2.67 A$3.83

-56.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.38 A$3.40

-51.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$2.44 A$3.49

-70.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$1.64 A$2.35

-67.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$38.25 A$54.7

-96.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$13.91 A$19.91

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$4.82 A$6.90

-79.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$5.26 A$7.53

-71.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$3.05 A$4.36

-90.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$80.8 A$116

-85.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$3.60 A$5.16

-79.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$1.63 A$2.33

-60.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$40.54 A$58.0

-92.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.22 A$1.75

-22.13%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$27.4K A$39.2K

12.09%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$30.6K A$43.8K

0.03%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$210 A$301

-51.36%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$27.69 A$39.63

-79.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$56.0 A$80.1

-81.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$55.8 A$79.9

-53.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$18.12 A$25.94

-34.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$15.27 A$21.86

-77.80%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$2,170 A$3,105

-79.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$20.2K A$28.9K

15.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$78.0 A$112

-33.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$53.7 A$76.9

-35.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$109 A$156

-16.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$125 A$178

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$1,403 A$2,008

-58.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$1,173 A$1,679

-75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$2,116 A$3,029

-38.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$1,795 A$2,569

-60.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$5,784 A$8,278

-18.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$4,940 A$7,069

-61.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$3,464 A$4,958

-85.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

5.84

47.95%

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 Esperance: 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%

Esperance

$1.2K 47.3% 302% $881

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Esperance

$370 14.9% 80.3% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Esperance

$164 6.6% 34% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Esperance

$294 11.8% 148% $176

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Esperance

$290 11.7% 357% $226

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Esperance

$86 3.5% 165% $54

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Esperance

$105 4.2% 527% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,403 in Esperance. 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 613% higher in Esperance, 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 $85.0 in Esperance. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $370 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇦🇺 Esperance

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

10,218

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Esperance 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Esperance

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 Esperance: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $2,499 in Esperance – roughly 192% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $3,749 in Esperance. 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 $85.0 in Esperance. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $2,499 in Esperance. That's a gap of about 192%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Esperance at $2,499. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Esperance it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to $2,499 in Esperance. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Esperance makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.