Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Quang Ngai: $484 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Quang Ngai
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Quang Ngai Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Quang Ngai

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $484 in Quang Ngai.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Quang Ngai $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $750 in Quang Ngai.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Quang Ngai $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,016 in Quang Ngai.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Quang Ngai $1,016

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 78% more expensive than in Quang Ngai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Quang Ngai 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$0.94 ₫24.2K

110.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$10.41 ₫269.5K

122.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.73 ₫122.4K

0.63%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.25 ₫32.4K

48.80%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.32 ₫8,164

59.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.16 ₫4,062

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.33 ₫34.4K

-22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.53 ₫39.6K

11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.55 ₫40.2K

1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$0.37 ₫9,598

194.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.73 ₫19.0K

43.84%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.54 ₫39.8K

6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$7.82 ₫202.5K

57.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.91 ₫101.1K

-8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$6.33 ₫163.8K

66.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.97 ₫50.9K

50.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$0.59 ₫15.3K

113.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.27 ₫33.0K

27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.38 ₫35.6K

-5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.18 ₫30.6K

0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.95 ₫24.5K

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.30 ₫7,704

143.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ₫12.2K

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$1.24 ₫32.2K

3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$5.54 ₫143.3K

124.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.56 ₫14.4K

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$0.80 ₫20.6K

85.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.34 ₫8,778

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$5.76 ₫149.1K

98.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.61 ₫15.7K

11.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.40 ₫10.4K

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$1.96 ₫50.7K

53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.75 ₫19.5K

21.33%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$30.3K ₫785.2M

0.79%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$28.1K ₫728.0M

4.41%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$65.7 ₫1.7M

57.87%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$6.17 ₫159.7K

-6.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$7.88 ₫204.1K

32.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$9.85 ₫255.1K

164.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$4.64 ₫120.3K

156.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$3.44 ₫89.1K

13.08%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$136 ₫3.5M

224.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$3,923 ₫101.6M

513.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$7.79 ₫201.7K

553.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$7.54 ₫195.2K

366.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$101 ₫2.6M

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$27.33 ₫707.6K

253.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$179 ₫4.6M

224.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$122 ₫3.1M

143.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$392 ₫10.1M

231.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$248 ₫6.4M

193.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$226 ₫5.8M

116.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

23.43%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for Quang Ngai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Quang Ngai

$122 25.1% 59% $175

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Quang Ngai

$143 29.6% 30.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Quang Ngai

$65 13.3% 47.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Quang Ngai

$80 16.5% 33.5% $40

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Quang Ngai

$48 10% 24.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Quang Ngai

$17 3.5% 50.6% $17

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Quang Ngai

$9.7 2% 40.2% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $179 in Quang Ngai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 117% 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 $10.00 in Quang Ngai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $143 per month, with Quang Ngai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Quang Ngai

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

112,384

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Quang Ngai 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Quang Ngai

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 Quang Ngai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quang Ngai wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quang Ngai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 117% 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $179 in Quang Ngai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $484 in Quang Ngai – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quang Ngai runs roughly 98% 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 $484 in Quang Ngai versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quang Ngai but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Quang Ngai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quang Ngai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $484 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quang Ngai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Quang Ngai 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 Quang Ngai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.