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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $840 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $517 in Purwokerto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,361 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $847 in Purwokerto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,176 in Purwokerto.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 62% more expensive than in Purwokerto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 39% lower, Purwokerto 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ₫53.7K

$1.30 Rp 23.0K

59.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.52 ₫611.4K

$8.34 Rp 147.6K

182.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫118.1K

$3.21 Rp 56.8K

41.43%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ₫49.5K

$1.40 Rp 24.7K

35.71%

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

$0.53 ₫13.9K

$0.42 Rp 7,355

26.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,687

$0.17 Rp 3,075

94.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₫29.0K

$2.24 Rp 39.7K

-50.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₫42.3K

$3.10 Rp 54.9K

-47.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫43.3K

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$0.89 Rp 15.7K

20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.9K

$0.83 Rp 14.8K

24.10%

Eggs

$1.57 ₫40.9K

$1.48 Rp 26.3K

6.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 ₫309.2K

$7.26 Rp 128.5K

63.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫93.2K

$2.88 Rp 51.0K

24.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ₫276.8K

$7.60 Rp 134.6K

40.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₫82.6K

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

42.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.6K

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

15.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.2K

$1.51 Rp 26.8K

7.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.5K

$0.91 Rp 16.1K

37.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.3K

$1.11 Rp 19.7K

8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.94 Rp 34.3K

-40.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₫19.8K

$0.67 Rp 11.8K

13.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.36 Rp 6,299

52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$2.39 Rp 42.4K

-48.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 ₫326.4K

$22.29 Rp 394.7K

-43.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.5K

$1.87 Rp 33.2K

-53.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₫39.6K

$3.12 Rp 55.3K

-51.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,338

$0.22 Rp 3,902

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.34 ₫294.7K

$11.88 Rp 210.3K

-4.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₫18.1K

$0.49 Rp 8,589

40.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₫17.0K

$0.33 Rp 5,793

96.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ₫81.9K

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

34.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

22.22%

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

$30.8K ₫800.8M

$21.5K Rp 380.2M

43.48%

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

$30.4K ₫791.4M

$29.0K Rp 512.8M

5.12%

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

$106 ₫2.7M

$34.43 Rp 609.6K

206.68%

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

$5.66 ₫147.1K

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

103.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.96 ₫258.9K

$19.10 Rp 338.1K

-47.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.43 ₫661.0K

$19.74 Rp 349.6K

28.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫309.4K

$11.29 Rp 199.9K

5.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 ₫90.3K

$2.51 Rp 44.4K

38.25%

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

$476 ₫12.4M

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

403.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₫598.4M

$7,263 Rp 128.6M

216.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 ₫1.3M

$39.61 Rp 701.3K

31.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 ₫898.1K

$31.60 Rp 559.6K

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ₫2.4M

$73.0 Rp 1.3M

25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₫2.5M

$73.2 Rp 1.3M

30.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 ₫14.9M

$140 Rp 2.5M

309.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.4M

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

291.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 ₫32.7M

$587 Rp 10.4M

114.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 ₫17.8M

$259 Rp 4.6M

164.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 ₫121.7M

$1,409 Rp 25.0M

232.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 ₫49.6M

$288 Rp 5.1M

561.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₫12.6M

$120 Rp 2.1M

304.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.45

2.25%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): September 13, 2026

Last update for Purwokerto: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $574 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $140 in Purwokerto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 305% 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: $24.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $8.00 in Purwokerto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $191 per month, with Purwokerto cheaper across the board.

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 Purwokerto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Purwokerto wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Purwokerto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 305% 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: $574 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $140 in Purwokerto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $840 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $517 in Purwokerto – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Purwokerto runs roughly 5% 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 $517 in Purwokerto versus $840 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Purwokerto but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Purwokerto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Purwokerto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $517 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Purwokerto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Purwokerto 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 Purwokerto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.