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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $840 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $805 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,361 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,259 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,713 in Siem Reap.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 4% more expensive than in Siem Reap, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 39% lower, Siem Reap 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ₫53.7K

$2.47 ៛9,989

-16.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.52 ₫611.4K

$24.31 ៛98.4K

-3.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫118.1K

$8.19 ៛33.2K

-44.57%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ₫49.5K

$1.68 ៛6,801

13.10%

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

$0.53 ₫13.9K

$0.72 ៛2,916

-26.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,687

$0.42 ៛1,697

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₫29.0K

$0.97 ៛3,931

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₫42.3K

$2.03 ៛8,206

-19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫43.3K

$2.25 ៛9,096

-26.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.75 ៛7,070

-38.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.9K

$1.04 ៛4,192

-0.96%

Eggs

$1.57 ₫40.9K

$1.74 ៛7,042

-9.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 ₫309.2K

$14.28 ៛57.8K

-16.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫93.2K

$2.63 ៛10.7K

36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ₫276.8K

$9.98 ៛40.4K

6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₫82.6K

$4.28 ៛17.3K

-25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.6K

$1.28 ៛5,199

0.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.2K

$3.82 ៛15.5K

-57.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.5K

$1.05 ៛4,239

19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.3K

$1.29 ៛5,209

-6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.12 ៛4,533

2.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₫19.8K

$1.30 ៛5,253

-41.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.78 ៛3,149

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$1.46 ៛5,903

-16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 ₫326.4K

$7.51 ៛30.4K

67.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.5K

$0.99 ៛4,000

-12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₫39.6K

$2.32 ៛9,410

-34.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,338

$0.98 ៛3,961

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.34 ₫294.7K

$14.87 ៛60.2K

-23.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₫18.1K

$1.96 ៛7,927

-64.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₫17.0K

$1.02 ៛4,136

-36.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ₫81.9K

$4.92 ៛19.9K

-35.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.31 ៛5,288

-32.82%

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

$30.8K ₫800.8M

$25.0K ៛101.2M

23.23%

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

$30.4K ₫791.4M

$22.8K ៛92.2M

33.64%

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

$106 ₫2.7M

$108 ៛437.7K

-2.34%

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

$5.66 ₫147.1K

$6.03 ៛24.4K

-6.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.96 ₫258.9K

$14.72 ៛59.6K

-32.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.43 ₫661.0K

$35.06 ៛141.9K

-27.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫309.4K

$14.14 ៛57.2K

-15.84%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 ₫90.3K

$4.88 ៛19.8K

-28.89%

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

$476 ₫12.4M

$282 ៛1.1M

68.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₫598.4M

$4,441 ៛18.0M

418.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 ₫1.3M

$26.71 ៛108.1K

94.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 ₫898.1K

$13.10 ៛53.0K

163.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ₫2.4M

$69.7 ៛282.1K

31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₫2.5M

$44.89 ៛181.7K

112.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 ₫14.9M

$330 ៛1.3M

73.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.4M

$232 ៛939.3K

22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 ₫32.7M

$684 ៛2.8M

83.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 ₫17.8M

$442 ៛1.8M

55.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 ₫121.7M

$2,460 ៛10.0M

90.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 ₫49.6M

$1,067 ៛4.3M

78.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₫12.6M

$237 ៛958.3K

104.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

9.2

-6.09%

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 Siem Reap: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $574 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $330 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 105% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $232 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siem Reap wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Siem Reap the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 105% 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 $330 in Siem Reap. 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 $805 in Siem Reap – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Siem Reap runs roughly 31% 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 $805 in Siem Reap versus $840 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Siem Reap the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Siem Reap delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $805 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Siem Reap hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.