Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,107 in Macao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Macao $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,021 in Macao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Macao $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,935 in Macao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Macao $3,935

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 59% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below, Macao is 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$6.31 MOP 51.0

-69.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$54.9 MOP 444

-57.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.91 MOP 47.73

-20.98%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$4.89 MOP 39.49

-62.17%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.06 MOP 8.56

-47.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.93 MOP 7.55

-63.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$5.63 MOP 45.48

-82.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$7.23 MOP 58.4

-76.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-48.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.67 MOP 13.50

-37.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.73 MOP 13.97

-42.77%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$3.40 MOP 27.46

-52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$16.05 MOP 130

-23.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$19.07 MOP 154

-81.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$29.25 MOP 236

-64.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.71 MOP 21.87

14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.86 MOP 23.14

-55.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.97 MOP 15.90

-20.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.36 MOP 19.06

-46.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$3.85 MOP 31.10

-69.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.95 MOP 23.85

-61.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.66 MOP 5.30

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$1.20 MOP 9.74

-55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$6.64 MOP 53.7

-81.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$12.14 MOP 98.1

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.77 MOP 14.34

-44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.31 MOP 18.66

-35.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.76 MOP 6.13

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$22.62 MOP 183

-48.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$2.57 MOP 20.77

-71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$1.24 MOP 9.99

-48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$15.00 MOP 121

-78.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.76 MOP 14.22

-46.02%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

-1.12%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

-3.69%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$124 MOP 1,002

-17.51%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$23.44 MOP 189

-75.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$36.46 MOP 295

-71.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$63.3 MOP 511

-59.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$3.78 MOP 30.57

212.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$14.73 MOP 119

-76.99%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$1,193 MOP 9,642

-63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

20.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$70.0 MOP 566

-26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$33.25 MOP 269

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$92.4 MOP 747

-1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$134 MOP 1,084

-29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$1,130 MOP 9,135

-48.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$1,070 MOP 8,650

-72.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

-38.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

-50.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

-43.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

-66.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

-76.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

188.00%

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 Macao: 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%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 266% $778

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Macao

$422 19.8% 105% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Macao

$148 7% 21.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Macao

$184 8.6% 55.3% $65

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Macao

$177 8.3% 180% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Macao

$93 4.4% 184% $60

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Macao

$34 1.6% 106% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,130 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 323% 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 $55.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $422 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, 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).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Macao 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Macao

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 Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 146% lower than in Macao. 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 323% lower in Macao. 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 $1,130 in Macao. 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 $2,107 in Macao – a 146% 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 95% less than in Macao. 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 $2,107 in Macao, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Macao. 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 Macao 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 146% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.