Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyeri: $503 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Nyeri
Learn more

Nyeri Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Nyeri

🇰🇪 Kenya

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $503 in Nyeri.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Nyeri $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $860 in Nyeri.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Nyeri $860

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,218 in Nyeri.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Nyeri $1,218

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 71% more expensive than in Nyeri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Nyeri 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.57 KES 592

-58.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$34.72 KES 4,501

-34.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$6.53 KES 847

-30.47%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.96 KES 254

-5.61%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.29 KES 38.21

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.56 KES 72.4

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.29 KES 297

-53.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.68 KES 348

-35.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$0.48 KES 62.8

245.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.49 KES 63.0

126.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.87 KES 112

14.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.75 KES 227

-4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$10.62 KES 1,376

13.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$5.99 KES 776

-38.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$4.50 KES 583

127.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$0.74 KES 96.4

300.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.52 KES 67.4

138.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$0.71 KES 92.1

119.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$0.33 KES 42.17

293.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.24 KES 31.15

412.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.44 KES 56.7

161.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.69 KES 89.7

7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.57 KES 73.5

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$1.50 KES 194

-17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$11.76 KES 1,525

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.23 KES 290

-56.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.69 KES 349

-43.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.74 KES 95.9

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$15.59 KES 2,022

-26.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.53 KES 198

-50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.14 KES 147

-41.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.18 KES 154

156.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.40 KES 182

-31.43%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$22.0K KES 2.8M

41.34%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

49.55%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$15.70 KES 2,035

549.55%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$11.59 KES 1,503

-49.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$35.66 KES 4,623

-70.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$34.62 KES 4,488

-26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$46.47 KES 6,025

-74.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$7.84 KES 1,017

-54.97%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$253 KES 32.8K

72.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

92.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$11.52 KES 1,494

357.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$13.83 KES 1,792

146.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$34.92 KES 4,527

158.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$19.09 KES 2,475

397.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$92.9 KES 12.0K

534.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$70.6 KES 9,150

322.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$195 KES 25.2K

564.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$152 KES 19.7K

368.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$228 KES 29.6K

114.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

14.71

-41.26%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Nyeri: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Nyeri

$71 14% 76.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Nyeri

$158 31.4% 23.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Nyeri

$36 7.1% 70.8% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Nyeri

$63 12.5% 46.8% $55

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Nyeri

$100 19.8% 57.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Nyeri

$50 10% 54.3% $18

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Nyeri

$26 5.1% 54.7% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $92.9 in Nyeri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 114% 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 $35.00 in Nyeri. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $158, with Nyeri cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇰🇪 Nyeri

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

02:42 2:42 AM

4 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

98,908

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Nyeri 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Nyeri

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 Nyeri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nyeri wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nyeri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $92.9 in Nyeri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $503 in Nyeri – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nyeri runs roughly 35% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $503 in Nyeri versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nyeri but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Nyeri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nyeri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $503 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nyeri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Nyeri 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 Nyeri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.