Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $513 in Kandy.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Kandy $513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $728 in Kandy.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Kandy $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $943 in Kandy.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Kandy $943

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 66% more expensive than in Kandy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Kandy 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$2.66 LKR 885

-28.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$13.01 LKR 4,324

76.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$6.00 LKR 1,996

-21.83%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.90 LKR 632

-5.26%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.52 LKR 174

5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.26 LKR 87.1

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.86 LKR 620

-44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$2.80 LKR 931

-38.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.15 LKR 382

45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$0.52 LKR 174

109.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$0.77 LKR 255

37.66%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.71 LKR 568

-6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$5.14 LKR 1,708

135.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$4.25 LKR 1,412

-13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$6.87 LKR 2,285

50.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$3.14 LKR 1,043

-4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$0.84 LKR 280

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.73 LKR 574

-6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.29 LKR 429

-1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.02 LKR 339

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$0.83 LKR 277

43.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.43 LKR 144

81.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.42 LKR 140

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$8.02 LKR 2,668

-84.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$11.28 LKR 3,751

13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$1.93 LKR 643

-53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.08 LKR 691

-29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.16 LKR 53.3

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$4.38 LKR 1,457

160.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$0.41 LKR 136

70.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.35 LKR 116

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$0.47 LKR 156

557.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.15 LKR 383

-17.39%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

118.35%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

-19.11%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

73.22%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$3.86 LKR 1,282

46.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$12.72 LKR 4,227

-18.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$10.85 LKR 3,606

77.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$6.80 LKR 2,262

73.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$2.74 LKR 909

39.78%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$21.65 LKR 7,199

2136.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$304 LKR 101.0K

7575.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$18.28 LKR 6,078

185.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$10.15 LKR 3,375

238.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

36.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$26.56 LKR 8,831

254.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$172 LKR 57.2K

276.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$113 LKR 37.5K

163.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$172 LKR 57.2K

649.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

668.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$397 LKR 131.9K

990.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$400 LKR 133.0K

396.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$262 LKR 86.9K

87.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

-28.00%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Kandy

$113 22% 62% $184

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Kandy

$166 32.3% 20.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Kandy

$55 10.8% 55.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Kandy

$76 14.7% 36.1% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kandy

$80 15.6% 27% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Kandy

$16 3.2% 39.5% $11

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Kandy

$7.2 1.4% 56.3% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $172 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $13 in Kandy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $166 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇱🇰 Kandy

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

1 h 30 min behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

125,000

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kandy 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kandy

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 Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kandy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% 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: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $172 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $513 in Kandy – Kandy is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 62% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kandy gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kandy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kandy are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.