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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $825 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $689 in Semey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,301 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,093 in Semey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,778 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,497 in Semey.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 20% more expensive than Semey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 39% lower, Semey 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 ₫51.7K

$4.49 ₸2,194

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.39 ₫614.1K

$27.81 ₸13.6K

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫123.1K

$4.86 ₸2,375

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₫46.4K

$1.59 ₸775

11.32%

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

$0.48 ₫12.5K

$0.92 ₸448

-47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,237

$0.55 ₸269

-49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₫26.1K

$1.18 ₸578

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₫40.9K

$1.81 ₸886

-13.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.5K

$0.68 ₸332

122.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₫25.7K

$0.32 ₸156

206.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₫25.2K

$1.60 ₸780

-40.00%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫38.6K

$1.28 ₸623

14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 ₫312.1K

$8.91 ₸4,350

33.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ₫93.6K

$4.63 ₸2,262

-23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₫278.6K

$7.05 ₸3,441

50.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₫70.2K

$1.34 ₸655

99.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ₫30.2K

$1.95 ₸950

-41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₫35.6K

$1.93 ₸943

-29.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫31.0K

$1.91 ₸933

-38.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫30.2K

$0.55 ₸266

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ₫32.4K

$0.38 ₸184

223.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.5K

$0.94 ₸461

-21.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₫12.4K

$0.76 ₸372

-38.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.6K

$2.57 ₸1,253

-50.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 ₫333.2K

$6.68 ₸3,263

89.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₫22.4K

$0.98 ₸479

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₫38.6K

$1.54 ₸753

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,796

$0.22 ₸109

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.74 ₫281.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₫17.7K

$0.95 ₸465

-29.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.6K

$0.67 ₸326

-5.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ₫82.0K

$4.76 ₸2,326

-34.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₫21.5K

$0.47 ₸228

74.47%

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

$38.2K ₫1.0B

$20.4K ₸10.0M

87.36%

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

$34.0K ₫893.7M

$24.6K ₸12.0M

38.36%

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

$85.0 ₫2.2M

$50.4 ₸24.6K

68.58%

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

$5.85 ₫153.6K

$8.66 ₸4,232

-32.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.10 ₫238.9K

$12.96 ₸6,330

-29.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.54 ₫539.1K

$33.37 ₸16.3K

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.70 ₫254.5K

$9.92 ₸4,846

-2.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 ₫113.1K

$4.35 ₸2,125

-0.92%

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

$274 ₫7.2M

$212 ₸103.6K

29.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₫371.0M

$4,930 ₸2.4M

186.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 ₫1.1M

$57.1 ₸27.9K

-26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.32 ₫717.0K

$34.79 ₸17.0K

-21.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 ₫2.5M

$87.3 ₸42.6K

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 ₫2.3M

$78.4 ₸38.3K

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫14.0M

$320 ₸156.2K

67.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ₫8.1M

$199 ₸97.4K

55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ₫28.7M

$518 ₸252.9K

111.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₫17.1M

$395 ₸192.9K

64.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,532 ₫119.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,820 ₫47.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.3M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.14

18.39

-50.30%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): June 9, 2026

Last update for Semey: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $320 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $28.00 in Semey. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $165, with Semey cheaper for home cooking.

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Semey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,237 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,034 in Semey 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: $535 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $320 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 $825 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $689 in Semey – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $689 in Semey versus $825 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Semey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Semey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $689 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Semey hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Semey 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 Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.