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: $840 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $779 in Guarapuava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,361 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,242 in Guarapuava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,705 in Guarapuava.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 8% more expensive than in Guarapuava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 39% lower, Guarapuava 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ₫53.7K

$5.00 R$25.78

-58.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.52 ₫611.4K

$23.67 R$122

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫118.1K

$6.79 R$34.96

-33.14%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ₫49.5K

$1.98 R$10.20

-4.04%

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

$0.53 ₫13.9K

$1.19 R$6.14

-55.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,687

$0.77 R$3.99

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₫29.0K

$1.54 R$7.91

-27.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₫42.3K

$2.45 R$12.62

-33.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫43.3K

$1.19 R$6.15

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.54 R$7.93

-30.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.9K

$1.45 R$7.47

-28.97%

Eggs

$1.57 ₫40.9K

$1.64 R$8.44

-4.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 ₫309.2K

$10.50 R$54.1

13.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫93.2K

$3.59 R$18.50

-0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ₫276.8K

$8.35 R$43.00

27.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₫82.6K

$1.76 R$9.04

80.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.6K

$0.50 R$2.60

158.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.2K

$0.80 R$4.14

102.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.5K

$1.32 R$6.80

-5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.3K

$1.09 R$5.59

10.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.05 R$5.38

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₫19.8K

$0.82 R$4.21

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.82 R$4.22

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$2.50 R$12.90

-51.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 ₫326.4K

$9.98 R$51.4

25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.5K

$2.15 R$11.10

-59.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₫39.6K

$2.49 R$12.84

-38.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,338

$1.00 R$5.14

-72.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.34 ₫294.7K

$42.66 R$220

-73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₫18.1K

$1.10 R$5.69

-37.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₫17.0K

$1.04 R$5.38

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ₫81.9K

$2.75 R$14.18

14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.07 R$5.52

-17.76%

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

$30.8K ₫800.8M

$31.6K R$162.7K

-2.44%

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

$30.4K ₫791.4M

$31.9K R$164.3K

-4.56%

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

$106 ₫2.7M

$82.5 R$425

27.99%

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

$5.66 ₫147.1K

$8.85 R$45.58

-36.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.96 ₫258.9K

$22.30 R$115

-55.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.43 ₫661.0K

$29.12 R$150

-12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫309.4K

$15.14 R$78.0

-21.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 ₫90.3K

$5.80 R$29.87

-40.17%

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

$476 ₫12.4M

$230 R$1,183

107.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₫598.4M

$3,689 R$19.0K

524.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 ₫1.3M

$32.48 R$167

59.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 ₫898.1K

$30.52 R$157

13.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ₫2.4M

$82.7 R$426

10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₫2.5M

$97.5 R$502

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 ₫14.9M

$229 R$1,181

150.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.4M

$153 R$790

84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 ₫32.7M

$554 R$2,857

126.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 ₫17.8M

$417 R$2,147

64.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 ₫121.7M

$1,589 R$8,188

194.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 ₫49.6M

$581 R$2,996

227.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₫12.6M

$489 R$2,521

-0.93%

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): September 13, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $574 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $229 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guarapuava pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $24.00 in Guarapuava. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $190, with Guarapuava cheaper for home cooking.

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 8% 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.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Guarapuava. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $574 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $229 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $230 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Guarapuava versus $840 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 $779 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 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.