Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Jimbaran, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,335 in Jimbaran, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Learn more

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Jimbaran, Bali
Learn more

Jimbaran, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Jimbaran, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,335

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Jimbaran, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,335 in Jimbaran, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Jimbaran, Bali $1,335

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,208 in Jimbaran, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Jimbaran, Bali $2,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,081 in Jimbaran, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Jimbaran, Bali $3,081

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 36% less than in Jimbaran, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below, Jimbaran, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$3.23 Rp 57.8K

-41.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$33.15 Rp 592.6K

-29.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.58 Rp 99.7K

-16.31%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.65 Rp 47.3K

-30.19%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.59 Rp 28.3K

-64.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-56.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

-61.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$4.21 Rp 75.3K

-59.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.45 Rp 25.8K

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

-50.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

-14.66%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.03 Rp 36.2K

-21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$16.44 Rp 293.9K

-25.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.75 Rp 67.1K

-5.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$11.41 Rp 204.0K

-8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.44 Rp 61.5K

-10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

-13.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

-30.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

-34.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.77 Rp 31.7K

-33.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.30 Rp 41.2K

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.51 Rp 9,077

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$2.18 Rp 38.9K

-44.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$21.55 Rp 385.3K

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.76 Rp 49.3K

-46.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.25 Rp 4,451

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$8.53 Rp 152.4K

36.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.46 Rp 8,258

58.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.47 Rp 8,427

36.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$6.31 Rp 112.8K

-49.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.93 Rp 16.5K

2.15%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$25.7K Rp 460.2M

19.39%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$32.3K Rp 578.2M

-5.44%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$81.7 Rp 1.5M

25.23%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$6.37 Rp 113.8K

-11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$18.64 Rp 333.1K

-43.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$51.0 Rp 912.0K

-49.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$16.50 Rp 295.0K

-28.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$3.89 Rp 69.5K

-12.85%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$454 Rp 8.1M

-3.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$5,559 Rp 99.4M

319.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$44.23 Rp 790.6K

16.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$33.10 Rp 591.7K

4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$74.8 Rp 1.3M

22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$76.2 Rp 1.4M

24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$1,070 Rp 19.1M

-46.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$655 Rp 11.7M

-55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$3,459 Rp 61.8M

-62.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$1,616 Rp 28.9M

-55.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$2,700 Rp 48.3M

74.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$2,197 Rp 39.3M

-14.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

13.78

-37.30%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Jimbaran, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Jimbaran, Bali

$655 49.8% 124% $362

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Jimbaran, Bali

$275 20.9% 33.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Jimbaran, Bali

$103 7.8% 16.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Jimbaran, Bali

$107 8.1% 9.9% $12

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Jimbaran, Bali

$105 8% 66% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Jimbaran, Bali

$59 4.5% 80.1% $26

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Jimbaran, Bali

$12 0.9% 26.1% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,070 in Jimbaran, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $33.00 in Jimbaran, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $275 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇩 Jimbaran, Bali

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

15,000

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Jimbaran, Bali 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Jimbaran, Bali

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 Jimbaran, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Jimbaran, Bali. 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.

You'd need roughly $1,283 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $2,003 in Jimbaran, Bali 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,070 in Jimbaran, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,335 in Jimbaran, Bali – a 56% 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 36% less than in Jimbaran, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,335 in Jimbaran, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Jimbaran, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 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 Jimbaran, Bali 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 56% less than in Jimbaran, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.