Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $1,929 in Kalgoorlie, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Other living expenses 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Kalgoorlie
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Kalgoorlie Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kalgoorlie

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,929 in Kalgoorlie.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kalgoorlie $1,929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,287 in Kalgoorlie.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kalgoorlie $3,287

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $4,645 in Kalgoorlie.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kalgoorlie $4,645

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 55% less than in Kalgoorlie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below, Kalgoorlie is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$17.55 A$25.25

-89.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$84.3 A$121

-72.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$10.63 A$15.29

-57.29%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$4.42 A$6.36

-58.14%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$3.72 A$5.35

-84.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$3.58 A$5.15

-91.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$6.37 A$9.16

-83.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$7.24 A$10.42

-76.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.53 A$2.20

8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$3.46 A$4.99

-67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$2.28 A$3.28

-56.14%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$4.52 A$6.50

-63.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.34 A$13.44

29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$9.09 A$13.08

-59.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$14.84 A$21.35

-31.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.80 A$5.46

-22.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$2.99 A$4.30

-58.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.34 A$4.80

-53.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$4.72 A$6.78

-72.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.68 A$3.86

-54.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.33 A$3.36

-50.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.14 A$3.08

-65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.49 A$2.15

-62.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$40.93 A$58.9

-96.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$13.69 A$19.70

-7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$4.82 A$6.94

-80.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$5.16 A$7.43

-70.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$2.94 A$4.23

-91.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$81.8 A$118

-85.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$3.51 A$5.05

-78.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.47 A$2.12

-54.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$43.13 A$62.1

-92.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.36 A$1.95

-29.41%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$23.0K A$33.2K

34.80%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$33.7K A$48.5K

-9.94%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$310 A$446

-67.08%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$55.8 A$80.3

-89.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$68.5 A$98.6

-84.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$37.87 A$54.5

-32.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$20.04 A$28.83

-40.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$17.75 A$25.54

-80.11%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$1,839 A$2,646

-76.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$18.3K A$26.3K

27.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$78.2 A$113

-32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$55.3 A$79.5

-38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$107 A$155

-16.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$132 A$189

-27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$1,387 A$1,996

-57.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$479 A$689

-37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$1,659 A$2,387

-22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$1,543 A$2,221

-53.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$5,435 A$7,821

-13.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$5,339 A$7,683

-64.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$6,038 A$8,688

-91.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.25

38.24%

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 Kalgoorlie: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Kalgoorlie

$479 24.8% 60.9% $181

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kalgoorlie

$370 19.2% 78.5% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kalgoorlie

$168 8.7% 36.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kalgoorlie

$434 22.5% 267% $316

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kalgoorlie

$301 15.6% 374% $237

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kalgoorlie

$73 3.8% 125% $41

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kalgoorlie

$104 5.4% 528% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,387 in Kalgoorlie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalgoorlie pays 1133% 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 $84.0 in Kalgoorlie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $370 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇦🇺 Kalgoorlie

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

21:21 9:21 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

29,068

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kalgoorlie 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kalgoorlie

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 Kalgoorlie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Kalgoorlie. 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.

On paper, salaries run 1133% lower in Kalgoorlie. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,387 in Kalgoorlie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,929 in Kalgoorlie – a 125% 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 611% less than in Kalgoorlie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,929 in Kalgoorlie, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kalgoorlie. 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 $859 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 Kalgoorlie 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 125% less than in Kalgoorlie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.