Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $545 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $545 in Kirkuk.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Kirkuk $545

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $871 in Kirkuk.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Kirkuk $871

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,197 in Kirkuk.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Kirkuk $1,197

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 56% more expensive than in Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$3.55 IQD 5,360

-46.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫591.8K

$23.20 IQD 35.1K

-1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.0K

$5.25 IQD 7,928

-10.67%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.4K

$2.35 IQD 3,558

-23.40%

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

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.38 IQD 576

44.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,802

$0.19 IQD 283

78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$2.71 IQD 4,102

-61.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$3.32 IQD 5,010

-48.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.0K

$0.97 IQD 1,471

72.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$0.57 IQD 858

91.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.2K

$1.37 IQD 2,068

-22.63%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.27 IQD 1,913

25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫311.8K

$3.37 IQD 5,090

258.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.4K

$3.22 IQD 4,871

13.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.0K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

-7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$0.74 IQD 1,121

306.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$0.79 IQD 1,196

59.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$0.86 IQD 1,294

88.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$0.64 IQD 964

98.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$0.49 IQD 736

140.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$0.48 IQD 722

147.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.56 IQD 844

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.35 IQD 523

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.67 IQD 2,521

-24.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.5K

$11.67 IQD 17.6K

10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$1.28 IQD 1,937

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.64 IQD 2,472

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,252

$0.35 IQD 522

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫294.7K

$19.84 IQD 30.0K

-42.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$1.93 IQD 2,914

-63.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.2K

$1.28 IQD 1,940

-50.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.7K

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

-53.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$0.48 IQD 726

97.92%

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

$30.5K ₫787.4M

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

88.11%

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

$29.7K ₫767.0M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

81.39%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$51.8 IQD 78.3K

97.18%

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

$5.65 ₫145.7K

$19.86 IQD 30.0K

-71.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.2K

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

-72.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.1K

$9.62 IQD 14.5K

100.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫304.8K

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.8K

$9.83 IQD 14.8K

-61.04%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$147 IQD 222.9K

228.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫601.6M

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

604.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.3M

$25.85 IQD 39.1K

102.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫886.3K

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

112.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$58.8 IQD 88.8K

56.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$29.49 IQD 44.6K

219.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$167 IQD 252.8K

286.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$80.1 IQD 121.1K

270.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$195 IQD 294.5K

562.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$198 IQD 298.5K

264.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.6M

$501 IQD 757.5K

763.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$262 IQD 395.8K

658.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.6M

$387 IQD 584.6K

26.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.12

109.71%

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 Kirkuk: 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%

Kirkuk

$80 14.7% 73% $217

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Kirkuk

$143 26.2% 31.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Kirkuk

$59 10.8% 52.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Kirkuk

$110 20.2% 6.9% $8.1

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kirkuk

$95 17.4% 50.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 8.6% $2.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Kirkuk

$30 5.4% 80.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $167 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 27% 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 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23 in Kirkuk. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $143, with Kirkuk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

20:43 8:43 PM

4 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

850,787

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kirkuk 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kirkuk

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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kirkuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% 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 $167 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $545 in Kirkuk – Kirkuk is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kirkuk wins on affordability, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.