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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $825 in Jakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,356 in Jakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,888 in Jakarta.

Monthly costs are close between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Jakarta; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower, Jakarta 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 ₫53.2K

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

-32.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.91 ₫601.9K

$18.68 Rp 336.9K

22.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫123.3K

$3.64 Rp 65.6K

28.85%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₫44.5K

$2.17 Rp 39.2K

-22.12%

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

$0.50 ₫13.2K

$0.52 Rp 9,354

-3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,263

$0.26 Rp 4,673

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₫26.0K

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

-63.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₫39.3K

$4.34 Rp 78.2K

-65.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ₫38.9K

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

7.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₫26.9K

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

-11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.9K

$0.98 Rp 17.6K

Eggs

$1.41 ₫36.9K

$1.81 Rp 32.7K

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 ₫312.1K

$6.57 Rp 118.5K

80.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ₫94.6K

$3.23 Rp 58.2K

11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ₫277.3K

$7.78 Rp 140.3K

35.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ₫72.5K

$2.83 Rp 51.0K

-2.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.9K

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-29.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫34.1K

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

-40.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.6K

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.7K

$1.79 Rp 32.3K

-34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.9K

$2.62 Rp 47.3K

-55.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₫18.4K

$1.03 Rp 18.5K

-32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₫13.4K

$0.46 Rp 8,290

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.27 ₫33.2K

$3.09 Rp 55.7K

-58.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 ₫323.6K

$21.09 Rp 380.3K

-41.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₫22.3K

$2.21 Rp 39.9K

-61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫39.1K

$3.13 Rp 56.5K

-52.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,433

$0.23 Rp 4,163

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.75 ₫282.5K

$12.12 Rp 218.5K

-11.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₫17.7K

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

15.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₫18.2K

$0.34 Rp 6,206

102.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ₫78.7K

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

-1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₫21.7K

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

2.50%

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

$37.5K ₫985.9M

$31.3K Rp 564.2M

19.95%

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

$33.6K ₫881.9M

$32.6K Rp 588.7M

2.83%

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

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$89.4 Rp 1.6M

-5.12%

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

$6.06 ₫159.3K

$6.44 Rp 116.2K

-5.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.14 ₫240.2K

$27.04 Rp 487.6K

-66.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.73 ₫544.6K

$29.82 Rp 537.8K

-30.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.37 ₫246.3K

$12.45 Rp 224.5K

-24.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 ₫111.8K

$3.05 Rp 55.1K

39.67%

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

$273 ₫7.2M

$167 Rp 3.0M

63.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K ₫362.2M

$9,722 Rp 175.3M

41.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.85 ₫1.1M

$57.1 Rp 1.0M

-24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.36 ₫718.8K

$32.94 Rp 594.0K

-16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 ₫2.6M

$83.9 Rp 1.5M

16.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ₫2.3M

$88.0 Rp 1.6M

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₫13.8M

$385 Rp 6.9M

36.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₫8.1M

$238 Rp 4.3M

28.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₫28.6M

$1,152 Rp 20.8M

-5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ₫17.6M

$646 Rp 11.7M

3.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,497 ₫118.2M

$2,787 Rp 50.3M

61.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,791 ₫47.1M

$1,422 Rp 25.6M

25.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ₫13.4M

$453 Rp 8.2M

12.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.14

9.59

-4.69%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): May 30, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $385 in Jakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Jakarta. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $215, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 12% 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: $526 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $385 in Jakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jakarta runs roughly 13% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Jakarta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jakarta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $825 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jakarta hard to pass up.

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

It comes down to priorities – Jakarta 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.