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: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $799 in Jakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,304 in Jakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,809 in Jakarta.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 6% more expensive than in Jakarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower, Jakarta 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₫55.8K

$2.61 Rp 46.4K

-18.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.91 ₫597.3K

$17.12 Rp 304.1K

33.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫121.9K

$3.46 Rp 61.5K

34.97%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫46.3K

$1.96 Rp 34.9K

-9.18%

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

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.42 Rp 7,467

26.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₫9,013

$0.27 Rp 4,802

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₫30.6K

$2.63 Rp 46.7K

-55.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₫43.3K

$3.92 Rp 69.7K

-57.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₫41.0K

$1.42 Rp 25.2K

10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.1K

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

-5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫26.1K

$0.92 Rp 16.4K

8.70%

Eggs

$1.61 ₫42.0K

$1.80 Rp 32.1K

-10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₫319.8K

$9.72 Rp 172.7K

26.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫92.2K

$3.01 Rp 53.5K

17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 ₫271.8K

$7.78 Rp 138.1K

34.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 ₫81.3K

$2.92 Rp 51.9K

6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.2K

$1.33 Rp 23.7K

-3.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.1K

$2.66 Rp 47.2K

-39.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.5K

$1.36 Rp 24.2K

-11.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.9K

$1.41 Rp 25.0K

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫31.1K

$2.10 Rp 37.3K

-43.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.99 Rp 17.5K

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$0.48 Rp 8,557

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.25 ₫32.5K

$2.88 Rp 51.2K

-56.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 ₫325.0K

$21.58 Rp 383.3K

-42.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.4K

$2.15 Rp 38.3K

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.5K

$3.05 Rp 54.1K

-51.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,359

$0.27 Rp 4,783

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ₫295.4K

$11.93 Rp 212.0K

-5.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₫18.0K

$0.49 Rp 8,682

40.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.7K

$0.35 Rp 6,300

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫80.5K

$3.42 Rp 60.8K

-9.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.5K

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

20.51%

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

$30.8K ₫802.5M

$27.9K Rp 496.2M

10.20%

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

$30.6K ₫797.2M

$34.1K Rp 604.9M

-10.19%

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

$101 ₫2.6M

$110 Rp 1.9M

-7.70%

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

$5.95 ₫155.0K

$5.82 Rp 103.5K

2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 ₫264.9K

$19.33 Rp 343.4K

-47.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.64 ₫642.4K

$26.69 Rp 474.2K

-7.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.67 ₫304.3K

$14.24 Rp 253.0K

-18.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 ₫92.4K

$3.29 Rp 58.5K

7.60%

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

$464 ₫12.1M

$156 Rp 2.8M

197.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ₫592.2M

$8,348 Rp 148.3M

172.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 ₫1.3M

$60.2 Rp 1.1M

-14.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 ₫910.5K

$30.59 Rp 543.4K

14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 ₫2.4M

$73.8 Rp 1.3M

22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ₫2.4M

$107 Rp 1.9M

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.2M

$364 Rp 6.5M

59.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.4M

$199 Rp 3.5M

42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 ₫33.1M

$1,178 Rp 20.9M

7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 ₫17.6M

$577 Rp 10.3M

16.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,704 ₫122.6M

$3,054 Rp 54.3M

54.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,909 ₫49.8M

$1,485 Rp 26.4M

28.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$488 ₫12.7M

$454 Rp 8.1M

7.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

9.46

-8.67%

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

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

Last update for Jakarta: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $364 in Jakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 8% 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 $17.00 in Jakarta. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $222, 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

Jakarta wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jakarta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $364 in Jakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $850 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $799 in Jakarta – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jakarta runs roughly 5% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $799 in Jakarta versus $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jakarta but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Jakarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jakarta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $799 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.

Expats usually find Jakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.