Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,108 in Kaohsiung, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Kaohsiung despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,108 in Kaohsiung.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Kaohsiung $1,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,821 in Kaohsiung.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Kaohsiung $1,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,535 in Kaohsiung.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Kaohsiung $2,535

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 23% less than in Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kaohsiung 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$5.46 NT$174

-65.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$31.96 NT$1,020

-27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$4.87 NT$155

-4.11%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.83 NT$90.4

-34.63%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.14 NT$36.40

-50.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.71 NT$22.76

-52.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.53 NT$48.85

-33.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.55 NT$81.5

-33.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$3.25 NT$104

-51.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$2.19 NT$69.7

-52.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$3.07 NT$98.1

-67.75%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.67 NT$85.2

-40.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$16.13 NT$515

-24.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$8.08 NT$258

-56.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$15.24 NT$486

-31.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$6.80 NT$217

-54.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.82 NT$90.1

-55.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.57 NT$82.0

-38.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.08 NT$98.4

-59.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$2.84 NT$90.7

-58.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.06 NT$65.8

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$2.45 NT$78.2

-70.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$1.04 NT$33.18

-48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$4.54 NT$145

-73.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$15.72 NT$502

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.67 NT$53.4

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.25 NT$71.7

-33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.68 NT$21.68

-58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$12.67 NT$404

-8.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$2.76 NT$88.0

-73.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.75 NT$23.98

-14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$5.51 NT$176

-42.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.02 NT$32.50

-6.86%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$33.6K NT$1.1M

-8.62%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$23.0K NT$735.3K

32.74%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$84.8 NT$2,705

20.67%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$17.34 NT$553

-67.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$25.77 NT$822

-59.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$41.21 NT$1,315

-37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$10.41 NT$332

13.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$10.96 NT$350

-69.07%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$462 NT$14.7K

-5.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$14.1K NT$449.2K

65.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$93.5 NT$2,982

-44.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$31.88 NT$1,017

8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$85.9 NT$2,740

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$104 NT$3,314

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$415 NT$13.2K

39.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$276 NT$8,808

5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$979 NT$31.2K

32.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$668 NT$21.3K

7.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$4,588 NT$146.4K

2.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$3,154 NT$100.7K

-40.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,462 NT$46.7K

-66.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

2.56

237.50%

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 Kaohsiung: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Kaohsiung

$276 24.9% 5.5% $16

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Kaohsiung

$368 33.1% 78.9% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Kaohsiung

$142 12.8% 15.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Kaohsiung

$128 11.5% 8% $9.4

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Kaohsiung

$112 10.1% 77.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kaohsiung

$63 5.7% 93.4% $30

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Kaohsiung

$22 2% 31.1% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $415 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 201% 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 $32.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $368 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

23:07 11:07 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

2,777,873

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, 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).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kaohsiung 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kaohsiung

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Kaohsiung. 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 201% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $415 in Kaohsiung. 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 $1,108 in Kaohsiung – a 30% 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 9% less than in Kaohsiung. 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 $1,108 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. 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 Kaohsiung 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 30% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.