Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,231 in Kuta, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Kuta, Bali
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Kuta, Bali Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Kuta, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Kuta, 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 Kuta, 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 $1,231 in Kuta, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Kuta, Bali $1,231

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,066 in Kuta, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Kuta, Bali $2,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,900 in Kuta, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Kuta, Bali $2,900

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 31% less than in Kuta, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kuta, Bali 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$2.89 Rp 51.7K

-34.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$30.73 Rp 549.4K

-24.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$4.94 Rp 88.3K

-5.47%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.38 Rp 42.5K

-22.27%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

-62.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.69 Rp 12.3K

-50.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$2.37 Rp 42.3K

-57.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$3.91 Rp 69.9K

-56.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.47 Rp 26.2K

7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

-52.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

-15.38%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.98 Rp 35.4K

-19.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$16.58 Rp 296.4K

-26.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.63 Rp 64.9K

-2.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$11.49 Rp 205.4K

-9.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

-6.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-27.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.89 Rp 33.8K

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

-32.37%

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

$0.47 Rp 8,359

14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$2.11 Rp 37.6K

-42.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$21.20 Rp 379.0K

-42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$2.25 Rp 40.3K

-56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

-47.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.27 Rp 4,813

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$9.09 Rp 162.4K

27.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.49 Rp 8,847

48.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.46 Rp 8,210

39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

16.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

2.15%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$26.2K Rp 468.7M

17.23%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$33.9K Rp 605.9M

-9.77%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

25.64%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$6.62 Rp 118.4K

-14.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$18.48 Rp 330.3K

-43.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$47.75 Rp 853.5K

-45.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$15.76 Rp 281.6K

-25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$3.87 Rp 69.1K

-12.40%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$443 Rp 7.9M

-1.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$5,264 Rp 94.1M

342.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$46.10 Rp 824.0K

11.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$35.04 Rp 626.3K

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$80.3 Rp 1.4M

13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

19.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$935 Rp 16.7M

-38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$570 Rp 10.2M

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$2,926 Rp 52.3M

-55.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$1,426 Rp 25.5M

-49.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$2,256 Rp 40.3M

108.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,861 Rp 33.3M

1.12%

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 Kuta, Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Kuta, Bali

$570 46.6% 95.1% $278

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Kuta, Bali

$274 22.4% 33.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Kuta, Bali

$108 8.9% 11.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Kuta, Bali

$107 8.7% 10.1% $12

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Kuta, Bali

$95 7.8% 49.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kuta, Bali

$55 4.5% 70% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Kuta, Bali

$13 1.1% 22.5% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $935 in Kuta, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $31.00 in Kuta, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $274 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇩 Kuta, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

17:57 5:57 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

57,304

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kuta, Bali 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kuta, 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 Kuta, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Kuta, 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 $1,846 in Kuta, 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 $935 in Kuta, 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 $1,231 in Kuta, Bali – a 44% 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 28% less than in Kuta, 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 $1,231 in Kuta, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kuta, 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 Kuta, 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 44% less than in Kuta, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.