Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $1,340 in Popayan, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
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Popayan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,340 in Popayan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Popayan $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,023 in Popayan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Popayan $2,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,706 in Popayan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Popayan $2,706

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 36% less than in Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Popayan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$6.55 COP 20.8K

-70.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$45.13 COP 143.1K

-49.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$8.71 COP 27.6K

-47.88%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.80 COP 8,877

-33.93%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.20 COP 3,793

-53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$1.02 COP 3,234

-68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.45 COP 10.9K

-69.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$4.02 COP 12.8K

-57.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.65 COP 5,224

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.49 COP 7,898

-55.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.68 COP 5,338

-40.48%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$3.13 COP 9,927

-46.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.94 COP 22.0K

74.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$11.05 COP 35.0K

-66.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$10.39 COP 32.9K

-1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.49 COP 11.1K

-15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.64 COP 5,209

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.83 COP 5,805

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.59 COP 5,031

-18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.33 COP 4,232

-7.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.49 COP 4,714

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.13 COP 3,572

-34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.00 COP 3,183

-44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.81 COP 12.1K

-67.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$11.86 COP 37.6K

6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.41 COP 4,485

-31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.62 COP 8,304

-41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$1.05 COP 3,332

-75.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.71 COP 5,413

-56.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$2.27 COP 7,194

-70.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.26 COP 29.4K

-67.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.29 COP 4,091

-25.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$25.7K COP 81.4M

20.96%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$35.5K COP 112.5M

-14.48%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$136 COP 431.3K

-25.04%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$11.34 COP 35.9K

-48.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.78 COP 84.9K

-60.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$34.41 COP 109.1K

-25.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.91 COP 18.8K

-40.27%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$539 COP 1.7M

-19.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,384 COP 23.4M

215.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$78.9 COP 250.1K

-33.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$59.9 COP 189.8K

-42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$131 COP 414.9K

-31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$115 COP 363.3K

-17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$554 COP 1.8M

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$513 COP 1.6M

-41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$903 COP 2.9M

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$874 COP 2.8M

-18.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,101 COP 6.7M

122.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,896 COP 6.0M

0.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

11.58

-25.39%

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 Popayan: 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%

Popayan

$513 38.3% 72.2% $215

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Popayan

$270 20.2% 30.3% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Popayan

$173 12.9% 41.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Popayan

$174 13% 47.1% $56

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Popayan

$146 10.9% 131% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Popayan

$46 3.5% 41.8% $14

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Popayan

$17 * 1.3% 3.6% $0.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $554 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $45.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $270 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇴 Popayan

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

20:03 8:03 PM

12 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

318,059

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Popayan 18,500 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Popayan

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 Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Popayan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $2,009 in Popayan 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $554 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Popayan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,340 in Popayan – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,340 in Popayan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Popayan. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Popayan 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Popayan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.