Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nam Dinh: $781 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Nam Dinh
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Nam Dinh Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Nam Dinh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $781 in Nam Dinh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Nam Dinh $781

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,277 in Nam Dinh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Nam Dinh $1,277

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,774 in Nam Dinh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Nam Dinh $1,774

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 9% more expensive than in Nam Dinh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Nam Dinh 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.8K

$2.06 ₫53.1K

3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.7K

$23.02 ₫593.1K

1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$4.46 ₫114.9K

2.02%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.94 ₫50.0K

-8.25%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$0.51 ₫13.2K

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,213

$0.33 ₫8,566

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$1.15 ₫29.6K

-6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$1.98 ₫50.9K

-14.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.57 ₫40.4K

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$1.04 ₫26.7K

14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$0.75 ₫19.3K

37.33%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.48 ₫38.1K

12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.2K

$12.27 ₫316.1K

-0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.59 ₫92.5K

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.1K

$9.66 ₫248.7K

6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$3.21 ₫82.7K

-3.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.03 ₫26.4K

18.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$1.35 ₫34.8K

5.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.07 ₫27.6K

14.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$0.90 ₫23.3K

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.59 ₫15.1K

23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.56 ₫14.5K

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.37 ₫35.3K

-10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.6K

$10.96 ₫282.3K

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.87 ₫22.4K

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$1.59 ₫41.1K

-6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,233

$0.37 ₫9,447

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.2K

$7.43 ₫191.3K

56.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$0.89 ₫22.9K

-14.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$0.60 ₫15.4K

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$2.30 ₫59.3K

35.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$0.89 ₫23.0K

1.12%

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

$30.9K ₫796.1M

$30.7K ₫789.8M

0.80%

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

$29.6K ₫762.3M

$29.5K ₫759.3M

0.39%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$84.8 ₫2.2M

17.77%

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

$5.75 ₫148.1K

$4.99 ₫128.6K

15.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫265.0K

$8.53 ₫219.9K

20.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.3K

$20.73 ₫534.0K

-12.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.2K

$8.37 ₫215.7K

45.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.4K

$4.54 ₫116.9K

-14.10%

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

$530 ₫13.7M

$330 ₫8.5M

60.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫686.2M

$29.4K ₫758.1M

-9.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$45.34 ₫1.2M

16.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.5K

$29.07 ₫749.0K

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$82.4 ₫2.1M

15.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$74.6 ₫1.9M

28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$409 ₫10.5M

50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$274 ₫7.1M

8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$696 ₫17.9M

88.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$650 ₫16.7M

8.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$2,241 ₫57.7M

97.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$1,190 ₫30.7M

68.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.17

5.75%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 31, 2026

Last update for Nam Dinh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35%

Nam Dinh

$274 35.1% 7.8% $23

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Nam Dinh

$195 25% 4.8% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Nam Dinh

$104 13.3% 16.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Nam Dinh

$98 12.6% 15.2% $18

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Nam Dinh

$66 8.5% 3.2% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Nam Dinh

$30 3.8% 14.8% $3.8

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Nam Dinh

$13 1.6% 22.9% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $409 in Nam Dinh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23 in Nam Dinh. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $195, with Nam Dinh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Nam Dinh

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

179,229

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Nam Dinh 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Nam Dinh

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 Nam Dinh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nam Dinh wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nam Dinh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,275 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,171 in Nam Dinh 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: $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $409 in Nam Dinh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $850 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $781 in Nam Dinh – Nam Dinh is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Nam Dinh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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