Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $712 in Semey.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Semey $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,148 in Semey.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Semey $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,584 in Semey.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Semey $1,584

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 20% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$4.93 ₸2,235

-61.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫591.8K

$21.82 ₸9,897

5.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.0K

$5.49 ₸2,491

-14.57%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.4K

$1.70 ₸770

5.88%

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

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.76 ₸345

-27.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,802

$0.48 ₸216

-29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.91 ₸412

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.35 ₸614

27.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.0K

$1.03 ₸469

62.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$0.37 ₸167

194.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.2K

$1.86 ₸845

-43.01%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.53 ₸693

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫311.8K

$5.36 ₸2,432

125.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.4K

$3.86 ₸1,751

-5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.0K

$5.43 ₸2,461

90.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$1.23 ₸559

144.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.65 ₸748

-23.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.72 ₸781

-5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.69 ₸768

-24.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$0.39 ₸176

202.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$0.60 ₸274

98.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$1.02 ₸461

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.99 ₸448

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.46 ₸1,116

-48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.5K

$7.24 ₸3,282

77.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$1.31 ₸596

-31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.20 ₸998

-33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,252

$0.25 ₸114

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫294.7K

$15.69 ₸7,118

-27.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$1.29 ₸586

-45.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.2K

$1.14 ₸515

-44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.7K

$6.54 ₸2,968

-52.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$0.65 ₸293

46.15%

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

$30.5K ₫787.4M

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-5.73%

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

$29.7K ₫767.0M

$26.3K ₸11.9M

13.12%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$33.66 ₸15.3K

203.68%

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

$5.65 ₫145.7K

$9.01 ₸4,087

-37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.2K

$18.84 ₸8,543

-44.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.1K

$42.36 ₸19.2K

-54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫304.8K

$11.23 ₸5,095

5.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.8K

$4.39 ₸1,993

-12.76%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$132 ₸60.0K

266.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫601.6M

$4,406 ₸2.0M

429.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.3M

$28.90 ₸13.1K

80.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫886.3K

$25.47 ₸11.6K

34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$100 ₸45.4K

-7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$76.6 ₸34.7K

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$339 ₸153.5K

91.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$229 ₸103.8K

29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$611 ₸276.9K

111.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$489 ₸221.5K

47.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.6M

$1,205 ₸546.6K

259.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$739 ₸335.3K

168.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

19.25

-55.12%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Semey

$229 32.2% 23% $68

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Semey

$154 21.7% 25.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Semey

$104 14.6% 15.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Semey

$62 8.6% 48% $57

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Semey

$88 12.4% 40.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Semey

$51 7.2% 89.7% $24

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Semey

$24 3.3% 44.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $339 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $22 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $154 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

00:58 12:58 AM

2 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

310,456

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Semey 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey wins on cost – living expenses run 17% 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 $1,279 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,068 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: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $339 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $712 in Semey – Semey is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 27% less than in Semey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Semey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.