Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninh Binh: $727 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Ninh Binh
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Ninh Binh Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Ninh Binh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $727 in Ninh Binh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Ninh Binh $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,162 in Ninh Binh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Ninh Binh $1,162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,598 in Ninh Binh.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Ninh Binh $1,598

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 17% more expensive than in Ninh Binh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.8K

$1.94 ₫50.0K

9.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.7K

$20.91 ₫538.6K

12.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$4.66 ₫120.2K

-2.36%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.71 ₫44.1K

4.09%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$0.51 ₫13.0K

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,213

$0.30 ₫7,834

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$0.97 ₫25.1K

11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$1.50 ₫38.6K

12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.37 ₫35.3K

21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$0.97 ₫24.9K

22.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$1.00 ₫25.8K

3.00%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.40 ₫36.0K

19.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.2K

$11.61 ₫299.2K

5.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.69 ₫94.9K

-4.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.1K

$9.71 ₫250.2K

5.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$2.70 ₫69.5K

15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.06 ₫27.4K

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$1.30 ₫33.6K

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.08 ₫27.9K

12.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$1.02 ₫26.3K

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.06 ₫27.2K

13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.64 ₫16.6K

14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.49 ₫12.5K

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.37 ₫35.3K

-10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.6K

$11.29 ₫290.9K

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.75 ₫19.3K

24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$1.59 ₫41.0K

-6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,233

$0.35 ₫8,905

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.2K

$6.51 ₫167.8K

78.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$0.70 ₫18.1K

8.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$0.66 ₫16.9K

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$2.72 ₫70.1K

14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$0.84 ₫21.6K

7.14%

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

$30.9K ₫796.1M

$34.7K ₫892.7M

-10.83%

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

$29.6K ₫762.3M

$31.8K ₫818.2M

-6.84%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$74.4 ₫1.9M

34.21%

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

$5.75 ₫148.1K

$5.83 ₫150.1K

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫265.0K

$8.89 ₫229.1K

15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.3K

$22.02 ₫567.1K

-17.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.2K

$7.69 ₫198.2K

58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.4K

$3.13 ₫80.7K

24.60%

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

$530 ₫13.7M

$264 ₫6.8M

100.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫686.2M

$11.5K ₫295.7M

132.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$41.22 ₫1.1M

28.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.5K

$23.57 ₫607.3K

47.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$87.6 ₫2.3M

8.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$75.9 ₫2.0M

25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$353 ₫9.1M

74.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$245 ₫6.3M

21.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$723 ₫18.6M

81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$528 ₫13.6M

34.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$2,092 ₫53.9M

111.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$1,220 ₫31.4M

64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

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 31, 2026

Last update for Ninh Binh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35%

Ninh Binh

$245 33.7% 17.6% $52

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Ninh Binh

$189 26% 7.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Ninh Binh

$103 14.1% 18% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Ninh Binh

$89 12.3% 23.1% $27

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Ninh Binh

$61 8.4% 4.7% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Ninh Binh

$28 3.9% 8.9% $2.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Ninh Binh

$12 1.6% 28.4% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $353 in Ninh Binh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $21 in Ninh Binh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $189 per month, with Ninh Binh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Ninh Binh

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

148,406

💱 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

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ninh Binh 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ninh Binh

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 Ninh Binh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,275 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,091 in Ninh Binh 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 $353 in Ninh Binh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $850 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $727 in Ninh Binh – Ninh Binh is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ninh Binh runs roughly 44% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ninh Binh 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.