Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 69% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Hikkaduwa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-57.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$24.59 LKR 8,146

-7.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$7.57 LKR 2,508

-40.03%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.50 LKR 828

-26.00%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.72 LKR 238

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.27 LKR 90.1

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.16 LKR 716

-50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.01 LKR 998

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.57 LKR 520

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.53 LKR 175

109.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.80 LKR 266

25.00%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.60 LKR 530

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$14.00 LKR 4,637

-13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.88 LKR 1,618

-24.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.26 LKR 2,406

41.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-56.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.85 LKR 281

45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$4.46 LKR 1,479

-65.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.23 LKR 406

5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.02 LKR 339

20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.82 LKR 270

40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.92 LKR 306

-19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.44 LKR 145

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$10.32 LKR 3,419

-87.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$13.70 LKR 4,537

-8.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.89 LKR 625

-49.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.01 LKR 998

-49.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.38 LKR 126

97.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.37 LKR 123

81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$0.88 LKR 293

244.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.33 LKR 441

-27.82%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-17.71%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-25.79%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

86.03%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$4.14 LKR 1,371

42.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$21.01 LKR 6,960

-50.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-20.67%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1059.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

1797.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$18.35 LKR 6,078

187.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$16.80 LKR 5,565

103.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

121.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

12.69

-31.91%

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 Hikkaduwa: 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%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 15.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 42.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 32.4% $38

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 71.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 72.7% $24

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 86.5% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $239 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

19:35 7:35 PM

1 h 30 min behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

101,342

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Hikkaduwa 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Hikkaduwa

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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $763 in Hikkaduwa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $509 in Hikkaduwa – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.