Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Rang: $721 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 about half 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Phan Rang
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Phan Rang Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Phan Rang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $721 in Phan Rang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850
Phan Rang $721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,157 in Phan Rang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386
Phan Rang $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,592 in Phan Rang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921
Phan Rang $1,592

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phan Rang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Phan Rang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₫54.8K

$1.15 ₫29.6K

85.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ₫603.7K

$22.90 ₫589.8K

2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ₫117.1K

$4.62 ₫118.9K

-1.52%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.9K

$1.72 ₫44.4K

3.49%

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

$0.53 ₫13.6K

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,213

$0.26 ₫6,692

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫27.8K

$1.08 ₫27.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.6K

$1.61 ₫41.5K

4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.8K

$1.21 ₫31.2K

37.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₫30.6K

$1.06 ₫27.4K

12.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$1.03 ₫26.6K

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.28 ₫33.1K

30.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫315.2K

$5.73 ₫147.5K

113.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.1K

$3.48 ₫89.5K

1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₫264.1K

$5.71 ₫147.2K

79.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$2.78 ₫71.6K

11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.27 ₫32.8K

-3.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$1.45 ₫37.2K

-1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.29 ₫33.1K

-5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$1.24 ₫31.9K

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.16 ₫29.8K

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.75 ₫19.2K

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.40 ₫10.4K

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$1.28 ₫32.8K

-3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ₫297.6K

$11.86 ₫305.6K

-2.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.60 ₫15.3K

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$1.01 ₫26.0K

46.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,233

$0.29 ₫7,519

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫299.2K

$6.06 ₫156.1K

91.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$0.76 ₫19.6K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.8K

$0.67 ₫17.2K

-7.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$3.07 ₫79.0K

1.63%

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

$31.2K ₫802.7M

-0.82%

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

$29.6K ₫762.3M

$29.7K ₫764.9M

-0.35%

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

$99.8 ₫2.6M

$39.49 ₫1.0M

152.75%

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

$5.75 ₫148.1K

$5.77 ₫148.6K

-0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.29 ₫265.0K

$8.92 ₫229.7K

15.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 ₫468.3K

$19.91 ₫513.0K

-8.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 ₫313.2K

$6.89 ₫177.6K

76.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 ₫100.4K

$3.99 ₫102.8K

-2.26%

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

$530 ₫13.7M

$237 ₫6.1M

123.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K ₫686.2M

$26.6K ₫686.1M

0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$52.0 ₫1.3M

1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 ₫898.5K

$35.06 ₫903.1K

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$92.0 ₫2.4M

3.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₫2.5M

$94.8 ₫2.4M

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₫15.9M

$429 ₫11.0M

43.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$289 ₫7.4M

2.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ₫33.8M

$644 ₫16.6M

103.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₫18.2M

$588 ₫15.2M

20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 ₫114.1M

$2,337 ₫60.2M

89.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ₫51.8M

$1,507 ₫38.8M

33.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

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 Phan Rang: 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%

Phan Rang

$289 40.1% 2.9% $8.5

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1%

Phan Rang

$160 22.2% 22% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7%

Phan Rang

$123 17.1% 1.5% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6%

Phan Rang

$54 7.5% 53.2% $62

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6%

Phan Rang

$56 7.7% 13.3% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1%

Phan Rang

$28 3.9% 7.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Phan Rang

$11 1.6% 31.6% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $429 in Phan Rang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23 in Phan Rang. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $160, with Phan Rang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Phan Rang

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

207,998

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Phan Rang 260 km

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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 Phan Rang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phan Rang wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phan Rang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,275 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,082 in Phan Rang 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 $429 in Phan Rang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% 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 $721 in Phan Rang – Phan Rang is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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