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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $825 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $663 in Guarapuava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,301 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,062 in Guarapuava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,778 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,461 in Guarapuava.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 24% more expensive than Guarapuava, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 39% lower, Guarapuava 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 ₫51.7K

$3.52 R$17.81

-44.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.39 ₫614.1K

$21.52 R$109

8.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫123.1K

$5.64 R$28.54

-16.84%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₫46.4K

$1.96 R$9.94

-9.69%

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

$0.48 ₫12.5K

$1.07 R$5.43

-55.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,237

$0.68 R$3.43

-58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₫26.1K

$2.03 R$10.27

-51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₫40.9K

$2.76 R$13.98

-43.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.5K

$0.95 R$4.81

58.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₫25.7K

$1.47 R$7.42

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₫25.2K

$1.17 R$5.90

-17.95%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫38.6K

$1.52 R$7.71

-3.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 ₫312.1K

$8.35 R$42.26

42.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ₫93.6K

$3.42 R$17.33

4.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₫278.6K

$7.36 R$37.28

44.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₫70.2K

$1.65 R$8.34

61.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ₫30.2K

$0.50 R$2.55

130.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₫35.6K

$0.95 R$4.82

43.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫31.0K

$1.22 R$6.16

-3.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫30.2K

$0.97 R$4.92

18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ₫32.4K

$0.94 R$4.77

30.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.5K

$0.56 R$2.84

32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₫12.4K

$0.66 R$3.33

-28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.6K

$1.94 R$9.85

-34.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 ₫333.2K

$7.87 R$39.84

61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₫22.4K

$1.23 R$6.24

-30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₫38.6K

$1.76 R$8.91

-16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,796

$0.87 R$4.39

-70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.74 ₫281.9K

$38.55 R$195

-72.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₫17.7K

$1.01 R$5.13

-33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.6K

$0.66 R$3.35

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ₫82.0K

$6.25 R$31.62

-49.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₫21.5K

$1.02 R$5.18

-19.61%

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

$38.2K ₫1.0B

$18.5K R$93.7K

106.32%

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

$34.0K ₫893.7M

$26.4K R$133.7K

28.89%

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

$85.0 ₫2.2M

$72.7 R$368

16.98%

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

$5.85 ₫153.6K

$7.93 R$40.14

-26.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.10 ₫238.9K

$18.36 R$92.9

-50.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.54 ₫539.1K

$23.91 R$121

-14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.70 ₫254.5K

$21.80 R$110

-55.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 ₫113.1K

$5.46 R$27.64

-21.06%

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

$274 ₫7.2M

$218 R$1,103

25.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₫371.0M

$3,289 R$16.7K

329.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 ₫1.1M

$30.23 R$153

39.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.32 ₫717.0K

$28.76 R$146

-5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 ₫2.5M

$71.7 R$363

34.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 ₫2.3M

$34.40 R$174

151.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫14.0M

$215 R$1,087

149.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ₫8.1M

$147 R$744

110.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ₫28.7M

$517 R$2,618

111.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₫17.1M

$386 R$1,953

68.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,532 ₫119.0M

$945 R$4,782

379.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,820 ₫47.8M

$580 R$2,935

213.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.3M

$470 R$2,382

7.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.14

-16.91%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): June 9, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $215 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $22.00 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $161 per month, with Guarapuava cheaper across the board.

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 Guarapuava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarapuava wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guarapuava the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 7% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $215 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $218 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Guarapuava versus $825 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarapuava but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Guarapuava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guarapuava delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guarapuava hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Guarapuava are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guarapuava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.