Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarapuava: $742 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Guarapuava
Learn more

Guarapuava Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Guarapuava

🇧🇷 Brazil

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $742 in Guarapuava.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Guarapuava $742

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,202 in Guarapuava.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Guarapuava $1,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,662 in Guarapuava.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Guarapuava $1,662

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 15% more expensive than in Guarapuava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Guarapuava 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.7K

$4.63 R$25.28

-54.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.4K

$22.39 R$122

4.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$6.39 R$34.89

-28.79%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.90 R$10.36

-6.32%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$1.17 R$6.40

-54.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,210

$0.74 R$4.06

-56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$1.53 R$8.34

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$2.35 R$12.83

-28.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.09 R$5.94

52.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$1.24 R$6.80

-4.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$1.16 R$6.34

-11.21%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.63 R$8.88

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.1K

$7.25 R$39.59

68.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.56 R$19.44

-0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.0K

$8.13 R$44.40

26.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$1.68 R$9.17

85.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$0.52 R$2.85

134.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫36.9K

$0.88 R$4.81

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.26 R$6.89

-3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.8K

$1.08 R$5.87

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.00 R$5.45

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.77 R$4.22

-5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.75 R$4.11

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$2.44 R$13.31

-49.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.5K

$9.52 R$52.0

21.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫23.9K

$2.00 R$10.91

-53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$2.27 R$12.37

-34.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,230

$0.96 R$5.24

-70.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.1K

$42.04 R$230

-72.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$1.05 R$5.72

-27.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$1.05 R$5.72

-40.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$2.53 R$13.84

23.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$0.99 R$5.41

-9.09%

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

$30.9K ₫795.7M

$29.3K R$160.1K

5.43%

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

$29.6K ₫761.9M

$30.7K R$167.9K

-3.76%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$80.5 R$439

24.02%

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

$5.75 ₫148.0K

$8.17 R$44.62

-29.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫264.9K

$21.66 R$118

-52.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.1K

$27.77 R$152

-34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.0K

$14.15 R$77.3

-14.06%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.3K

$5.47 R$29.86

-28.70%

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

$530 ₫13.6M

$198 R$1,079

168.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫685.9M

$3,506 R$19.1K

659.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$31.05 R$170

69.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.1K

$30.24 R$165

15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.4M

$111 R$604

-14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$93.6 R$511

1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$219 R$1,194

182.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$152 R$828

96.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$526 R$2,874

149.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$394 R$2,150

79.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$1,593 R$8,701

178.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$552 R$3,012

264.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

$457 R$2,497

10.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

10.5

-17.71%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 31, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35%

Guarapuava

$152 20.4% 49% $146

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Guarapuava

$171 23% 16.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Guarapuava

$119 16.1% 4.6% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Guarapuava

$110 14.9% 4.8% $5.5

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Guarapuava

$99 13.3% 54.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Guarapuava

$39 5.2% 49% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Guarapuava

$52 7% 215% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $219 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 10% 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 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $22 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $171 per month, with Guarapuava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇧🇷 Guarapuava

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

12:22 12:22 PM

10 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

182,093

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 25,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,829 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Guarapuava 17,200 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Guarapuava

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 Guarapuava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarapuava wins on cost – living expenses run 13% 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.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), 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: $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $219 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $198 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Guarapuava wins on affordability, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.