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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $629 in Kyzylorda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,312 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $962 in Kyzylorda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,820 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,295 in Kyzylorda.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 28% more expensive than in Kyzylorda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 40% lower, Kyzylorda 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫52.2K

$8.15 ₸3,884

-75.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.00 ₫605.3K

$28.88 ₸13.8K

-20.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ₫123.2K

$6.64 ₸3,161

-29.52%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₫45.1K

$1.99 ₸948

-14.07%

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

$0.48 ₫12.6K

$1.19 ₸568

-59.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,348

$0.40 ₸191

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ₫27.3K

$2.12 ₸1,008

-50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₫41.5K

$2.98 ₸1,420

-46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ₫40.1K

$1.17 ₸558

29.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫26.0K

$0.21 ₸99.9

371.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₫24.7K

$0.90 ₸429

4.44%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫38.8K

$1.23 ₸586

19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 ₫311.3K

$8.86 ₸4,222

33.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ₫94.9K

$1.75 ₸831

106.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 ₫276.7K

$4.09 ₸1,948

156.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 ₫70.1K

$1.18 ₸564

125.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₫29.3K

$1.84 ₸878

-39.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫34.3K

$1.76 ₸841

-26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.8K

$2.26 ₸1,077

-48.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.5K

$1.16 ₸551

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ₫32.5K

$0.58 ₸278

112.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ₫18.7K

$1.18 ₸562

-39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₫12.5K

$0.81 ₸385

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫32.2K

$2.12 ₸1,012

-42.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 ₫295.7K

$2.27 ₸1,082

395.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.8K

$1.06 ₸506

-17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫39.1K

$1.68 ₸802

-11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,813

$0.20 ₸97.3

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.58 ₫278.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ₫18.8K

$0.71 ₸337

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₫18.1K

$0.63 ₸300

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ₫80.4K

$4.71 ₸2,244

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₫23.0K

$0.40 ₸190

120.00%

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

$37.6K ₫990.0M

$25.5K ₸12.2M

47.26%

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

$34.6K ₫911.6M

$27.5K ₸13.1M

25.93%

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

$85.8 ₫2.3M

$65.2 ₸31.0K

31.66%

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

$5.75 ₫151.4K

$7.78 ₸3,707

-26.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.21 ₫242.3K

$13.67 ₸6,510

-32.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.17 ₫557.2K

$28.88 ₸13.8K

-26.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.22 ₫242.8K

$15.47 ₸7,368

-40.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 ₫114.3K

$5.34 ₸2,545

-18.73%

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

$278 ₫7.3M

$211 ₸100.6K

31.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ₫365.5M

$4,896 ₸2.3M

183.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.88 ₫1.1M

$38.78 ₸18.5K

7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.95 ₫709.2K

$48.34 ₸23.0K

-44.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$47.18 ₸22.5K

101.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$58.5 ₸27.8K

45.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 ₫13.8M

$168 ₸80.1K

211.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 ₫7.9M

$136 ₸64.6K

120.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 ₫29.1M

$254 ₸121.2K

335.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 ₫17.4M

$198 ₸94.1K

234.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,542 ₫119.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,813 ₫47.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 ₫12.8M

$314 ₸149.7K

54.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.14

-60.26%

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

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

Last update for Kyzylorda: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $525 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $168 in Kyzylorda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 55% 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 $29.00 in Kyzylorda. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $138, with Kyzylorda cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kyzylorda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyzylorda wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kyzylorda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $525 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $168 in Kyzylorda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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 $804 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $629 in Kyzylorda – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kyzylorda gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kyzylorda delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $629 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kyzylorda hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kyzylorda 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 Kyzylorda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.