Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Manado: $557 a month against $862 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.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Manado
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Manado Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Manado

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $557 in Manado.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Manado $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $881 in Manado.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Manado $881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,206 in Manado.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Manado $1,206

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 55% more expensive than in Manado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Manado 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$16.91 Rp 304.4K

36.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$2.78 Rp 50.0K

71.22%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.75 Rp 31.6K

6.29%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

-16.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.25 Rp 4,526

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$3.42 Rp 61.6K

-69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$2.75 Rp 49.6K

-37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.10 Rp 19.8K

-0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

36.36%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.85 Rp 33.2K

-11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$16.47 Rp 296.4K

-25.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

31.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$6.25 Rp 112.5K

68.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$2.29 Rp 41.2K

29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

-16.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

28.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

43.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$2.78 Rp 50.1K

-58.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

-8.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.45 Rp 8,183

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

-46.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

-40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.83 Rp 33.0K

-47.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

-50.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.30 Rp 5,363

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.52 Rp 9,385

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.34 Rp 6,183

82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

11.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

40.00%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$23.5K Rp 422.4M

30.26%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$31.5K Rp 566.9M

-6.77%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$52.9 Rp 951.8K

96.24%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$4.26 Rp 76.6K

35.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$14.10 Rp 253.8K

-25.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$13.16 Rp 236.9K

98.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$8.53 Rp 153.5K

39.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$2.56 Rp 46.1K

51.95%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$126 Rp 2.3M

250.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$4,771 Rp 85.9M

404.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$55.1 Rp 991.0K

-7.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$20.35 Rp 366.3K

72.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$69.5 Rp 1.3M

32.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

49.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$253 Rp 4.5M

130.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$81.6 Rp 1.5M

263.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$302 Rp 5.4M

330.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$169 Rp 3.0M

331.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$1,185 Rp 21.3M

303.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$790 Rp 14.2M

134.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$215 Rp 3.9M

127.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

-13.60%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for Manado: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Manado

$82 14.7% 72.5% $215

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Manado

$221 39.7% 6.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Manado

$94 16.9% 23.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Manado

$71 12.8% 40.7% $49

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Manado

$67 12% 4% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Manado

$18 3.3% 46% $16

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Manado

$3.4 * 0.6% 78.9% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $253 in Manado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 127% 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 $17.00 in Manado. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $221, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇩 Manado

🕒 Local time

23:18 11:18 PM

00:18 12:18 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

423,257

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Manado 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Manado

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 Manado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manado wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 127% 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $253 in Manado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $557 in Manado – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $557 in Manado versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manado but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Manado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manado hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Manado 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 Manado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.