Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mui Ne: $736 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mui Ne
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Mui Ne Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Mui Ne

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $736 in Mui Ne.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Mui Ne $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,175 in Mui Ne.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Mui Ne $1,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,615 in Mui Ne.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Mui Ne $1,615

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 16% more expensive than in Mui Ne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Mui Ne 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$1.93 ₫49.9K

-1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$21.28 ₫549.7K

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$4.63 ₫119.6K

1.30%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.79 ₫46.2K

0.56%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.47 ₫12.1K

17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.30 ₫7,856

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.99 ₫25.7K

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.57 ₫40.7K

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.37 ₫35.3K

21.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$0.94 ₫24.4K

15.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$0.95 ₫24.6K

11.58%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.43 ₫36.9K

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$11.62 ₫300.1K

3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$3.67 ₫94.7K

-0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$10.07 ₫260.1K

2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$2.65 ₫68.6K

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.02 ₫26.2K

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.29 ₫33.4K

25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.08 ₫28.0K

17.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.08 ₫27.9K

9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$1.01 ₫26.1K

17.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.69 ₫17.8K

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.52 ₫13.5K

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.37 ₫35.4K

-8.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$11.31 ₫292.3K

13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$0.81 ₫20.8K

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.60 ₫41.4K

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.34 ₫8,888

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$6.63 ₫171.2K

72.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.61 ₫15.8K

3.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$2.74 ₫70.9K

12.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.89 ₫23.1K

6.74%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$34.4K ₫889.7M

-11.40%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$32.1K ₫829.9M

-7.47%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$74.8 ₫1.9M

36.71%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$5.87 ₫151.6K

-3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$8.82 ₫227.7K

18.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$22.18 ₫572.9K

-12.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$7.49 ₫193.4K

57.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$3.16 ₫81.7K

21.20%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$268 ₫6.9M

80.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$11.8K ₫304.1M

98.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$41.07 ₫1.1M

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$22.78 ₫588.4K

50.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$85.7 ₫2.2M

7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$75.5 ₫2.0M

24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$354 ₫9.1M

82.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$252 ₫6.5M

17.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$727 ₫18.8M

77.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$543 ₫14.0M

32.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$2,056 ₫53.1M

110.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,265 ₫32.7M

57.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

9.1

-5.05%

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 Mui Ne: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Mui Ne

$252 34.3% 15.1% $45

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Mui Ne

$190 25.9% 8.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Mui Ne

$101 13.8% 17.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Mui Ne

$89 12.2% 24.4% $29

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Mui Ne

$62 8.4% 1.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Mui Ne

$29 3.9% 5.7% $1.5

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Mui Ne

$12 1.6% 28.3% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $354 in Mui Ne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $21 in Mui Ne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $190 per month, with Mui Ne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Mui Ne

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

25,000

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Mui Ne 170 km

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Mui Ne

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 Mui Ne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mui Ne wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mui Ne the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,279 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,103 in Mui Ne 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: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $354 in Mui Ne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $736 in Mui Ne – Mui Ne is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mui Ne runs roughly 42% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mui Ne gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mui Ne is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Mui Ne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Mui Ne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.