Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $2,438 in Fremantle, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Fremantle
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Fremantle Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Fremantle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,438 in Fremantle, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Fremantle $2,438

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $3,245 in Fremantle, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Fremantle $3,245

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $4,052 in Fremantle, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Fremantle $4,052

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 65% cheaper than Fremantle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) sits 36% below the global median, while Fremantle is 81% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$19.47 A$28.01

-90.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$81.4 A$117

-71.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$10.57 A$15.20

-57.05%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.62 A$5.21

-48.90%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$2.84 A$4.09

-80.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$1.87 A$2.69

-82.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$7.82 A$11.26

-86.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$8.13 A$11.70

-78.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.64 A$2.36

1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$3.21 A$4.62

-65.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.97 A$2.83

-49.24%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$5.07 A$7.30

-67.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.37 A$13.48

28.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$8.07 A$11.61

-54.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$11.63 A$16.73

-11.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.92 A$5.64

-24.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.11 A$4.47

-60.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.43 A$4.93

-54.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$3.30 A$4.75

-60.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.71 A$3.90

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.96 A$2.82

-41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.07 A$2.98

-64.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.33 A$1.91

-57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$34.22 A$49.24

-96.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$10.31 A$14.83

22.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.55 A$5.11

-72.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.56 A$5.13

-57.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$2.75 A$3.95

-90.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$80.2 A$115

-85.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$3.50 A$5.03

-78.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.44 A$2.07

-53.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$39.76 A$57.2

-92.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.17 A$1.69

-17.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$27.1K A$39.0K

14.77%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$26.7K A$38.4K

13.84%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$198 A$286

-48.61%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$23.98 A$34.51

-75.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$64.0 A$92.1

-83.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$44.35 A$63.8

-42.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$17.44 A$25.10

-31.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$15.75 A$22.66

-77.59%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$2,266 A$3,261

-80.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$23.4K A$33.6K

-0.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$35.02 A$50.4

50.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$56.1 A$80.7

-39.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$122 A$176

-26.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$159 A$229

-40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$1,365 A$1,964

-56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$1,170 A$1,684

-74.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$2,163 A$3,113

-40.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$1,211 A$1,742

-41.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$6,653 A$9,574

-29.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$4,833 A$6,955

-60.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$3,817 A$5,492

-87.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

5.91

46.19%

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 Fremantle: 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%

Fremantle

$1.2K 48% 293% $873

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Fremantle

$330 13.5% 59.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Fremantle

$168 6.9% 37.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Fremantle

$286 11.8% 142% $168

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Fremantle

$305 12.5% 381% $242

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Fremantle

$76 3.1% 133% $43

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Fremantle

$102 4.2% 512% $85

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,365 in Fremantle. 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 680% higher in Fremantle, 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 $81.0 in Fremantle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $330 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇦🇺 Fremantle

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

21:21 9:21 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

8,616

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Fremantle 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Fremantle

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 Fremantle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fremantle costs about 184% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,657 in Fremantle. 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.

Kindergarten costs $436 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $2,266 in Fremantle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Fremantle, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $859, than in Fremantle at $2,438. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fremantle 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 $2,438 in Fremantle. 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, Fremantle makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.