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: $808 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $840 in Jakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,306 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,379 in Jakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,919 in Jakarta.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 4% less than in Jakarta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 40% lower, Jakarta 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ₫54.3K

$3.11 Rp 55.9K

-33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.64 ₫595.2K

$18.11 Rp 324.8K

25.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ₫124.2K

$3.46 Rp 62.1K

36.42%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₫46.9K

$2.10 Rp 37.7K

-14.76%

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

$0.47 ₫12.5K

$0.55 Rp 9,890

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,257

$0.28 Rp 5,077

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₫26.4K

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

-64.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₫41.6K

$4.21 Rp 75.5K

-62.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ₫40.2K

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

14.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫26.0K

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

-14.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.7K

$0.95 Rp 17.0K

7.37%

Eggs

$1.43 ₫37.5K

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.46 ₫301.4K

$6.49 Rp 116.4K

76.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ₫95.1K

$3.23 Rp 58.0K

12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫277.6K

$7.55 Rp 135.4K

39.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ₫71.6K

$2.93 Rp 52.5K

-7.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.9K

$1.61 Rp 28.8K

-31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫34.2K

$2.27 Rp 40.8K

-42.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.8K

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

-26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 ₫29.6K

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

-37.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ₫31.1K

$2.61 Rp 46.9K

-54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₫18.4K

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

-33.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₫12.4K

$0.46 Rp 8,269

2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.6K

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

-57.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₫297.1K

$20.56 Rp 368.8K

-45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₫23.9K

$2.21 Rp 39.7K

-58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₫37.5K

$3.24 Rp 58.2K

-56.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,399

$0.21 Rp 3,754

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.74 ₫282.5K

$12.21 Rp 219.0K

-12.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.8K

$0.54 Rp 9,605

25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.5K

$0.37 Rp 6,669

70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ₫79.4K

$3.12 Rp 55.9K

-3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₫21.6K

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

2.50%

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

$37.7K ₫990.5M

$30.2K Rp 541.7M

24.75%

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

$33.5K ₫881.9M

$32.7K Rp 586.9M

2.51%

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

$83.2 ₫2.2M

$89.4 Rp 1.6M

-6.97%

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

$5.76 ₫151.6K

$6.51 Rp 116.7K

-11.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.26 ₫243.6K

$27.21 Rp 488.0K

-65.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.01 ₫552.3K

$29.97 Rp 537.6K

-29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 ₫255.4K

$12.61 Rp 226.3K

-22.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 ₫112.4K

$3.10 Rp 55.6K

38.06%

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

$280 ₫7.4M

$166 Rp 3.0M

68.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₫369.7M

$9,566 Rp 171.6M

47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.71 ₫1.1M

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

-25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.93 ₫708.0K

$33.85 Rp 607.2K

-20.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 ₫2.6M

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$90.3 Rp 1.6M

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 ₫14.2M

$381 Rp 6.8M

41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₫8.0M

$236 Rp 4.2M

29.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 ₫29.2M

$1,152 Rp 20.7M

-3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₫17.0M

$660 Rp 11.8M

-2.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,555 ₫119.8M

$2,958 Rp 53.1M

53.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,818 ₫47.8M

$1,431 Rp 25.7M

26.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$495 ₫13.0M

$421 Rp 7.6M

17.41%

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): July 14, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $539 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $381 in Jakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $18.00 in Jakarta. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $214, 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) wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Jakarta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $539 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $381 in Jakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $808 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $840 in Jakarta – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 14% less than in Jakarta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $808 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Jakarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.