Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ponta Grossa: $705 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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 Ponta Grossa
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Ponta Grossa Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Ponta Grossa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $705 in Ponta Grossa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Ponta Grossa $705

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,124 in Ponta Grossa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Ponta Grossa $1,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,543 in Ponta Grossa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Ponta Grossa $1,543

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 22% more expensive than in Ponta Grossa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Ponta Grossa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$5.04 R$25.55

-62.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.70 R$99.9

15.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$8.04 R$40.75

-43.53%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.41 R$7.15

31.21%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.24 R$6.26

-54.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.58 R$2.92

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.42 R$7.20

-25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.43 R$12.33

-29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$0.99 R$5.02

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.17 R$5.91

-5.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.91 R$4.63

9.89%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.10 R$10.62

-20.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.64 R$33.68

81.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.96 R$20.07

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.08 R$30.80

68.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.19 R$11.09

35.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.94 R$4.79

31.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.11 R$5.64

40.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.36 R$6.92

-4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.81 R$4.13

51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.81 R$4.13

41.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.57 R$2.89

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.74 R$3.77

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.80 R$14.19

-55.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$4.68 R$23.71

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.10 R$5.57

-12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.86 R$9.41

-17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$1.04 R$5.26

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$31.67 R$161

-63.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.74 R$8.81

-56.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.77 R$3.88

-12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$5.69 R$28.86

-46.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.24 R$6.30

-22.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$18.7K R$94.8K

66.12%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$32.1K R$162.7K

-5.40%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$37.44 R$190

172.38%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.96 R$45.40

-34.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$19.80 R$100

-47.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$39.60 R$201

-35.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$17.08 R$86.6

-30.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$8.09 R$40.99

-56.37%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$159 R$807

174.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$5,156 R$26.1K

351.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$43.53 R$221

21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$33.67 R$171

1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$80.6 R$408

12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$54.7 R$277

73.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$283 R$1,436

108.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$192 R$973

55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$494 R$2,505

161.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$391 R$1,984

81.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$902 R$4,573

418.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$639 R$3,239

197.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$516 R$2,615

-5.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.5

32.92%

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 Ponta Grossa: 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%

Ponta Grossa

$192 27.3% 35.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Ponta Grossa

$153 21.8% 26% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Ponta Grossa

$96 13.6% 21.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Ponta Grossa

$66 9.4% 44.1% $52

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Ponta Grossa

$101 14.3% 58.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Ponta Grossa

$56 7.9% 71.1% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Ponta Grossa

$41 5.9% 149% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $283 in Ponta Grossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ponta Grossa pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $20.00 in Ponta Grossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $153 per month, with Ponta Grossa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇧🇷 Ponta Grossa

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

19:36 7:36 PM

10 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

358,371

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, 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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ponta Grossa 17,100 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ponta Grossa

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 Ponta Grossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ponta Grossa wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ponta Grossa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Ponta Grossa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $283 in Ponta Grossa. 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 $705 in Ponta Grossa – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ponta Grossa runs roughly 175% 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 $705 in Ponta Grossa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ponta Grossa but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Ponta Grossa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ponta Grossa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ponta Grossa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Ponta Grossa 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 Ponta Grossa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.