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: $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $720 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,073 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,426 in Siem Reap.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 15% more expensive than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 ₫53.2K

$2.54 ៛10.2K

-20.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.91 ₫601.9K

$24.11 ៛96.9K

-4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫123.3K

$6.92 ៛27.8K

-32.23%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₫44.5K

$1.67 ៛6,719

1.20%

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

$0.50 ₫13.2K

$0.69 ៛2,768

-27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,263

$0.51 ៛2,059

-45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₫26.0K

$0.98 ៛3,937

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₫39.3K

$1.93 ៛7,744

-22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ₫38.9K

$1.81 ៛7,271

-18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₫26.9K

$1.38 ៛5,546

-25.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.9K

$1.03 ៛4,151

-4.85%

Eggs

$1.41 ₫36.9K

$1.62 ៛6,496

-12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 ₫312.1K

$13.00 ៛52.3K

-8.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ₫94.6K

$3.64 ៛14.6K

-1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ₫277.3K

$10.42 ៛41.9K

1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ₫72.5K

$3.65 ៛14.7K

-24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.9K

$1.07 ៛4,315

2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫34.1K

$3.43 ៛13.8K

-62.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.6K

$1.31 ៛5,277

-11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.7K

$1.24 ៛4,984

-5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.9K

$0.95 ៛3,820

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₫18.4K

$1.36 ៛5,471

-48.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₫13.4K

$0.67 ៛2,681

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.27 ₫33.2K

$1.91 ៛7,662

-33.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 ₫323.6K

$7.46 ៛30.0K

65.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₫22.3K

$0.73 ៛2,934

16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫39.1K

$1.68 ៛6,740

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,433

$1.01 ៛4,066

-72.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.75 ₫282.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₫17.7K

$1.03 ៛4,159

-34.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₫18.2K

$0.98 ៛3,954

-29.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ₫78.7K

$4.60 ៛18.5K

-35.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₫21.7K

$1.08 ៛4,326

-24.07%

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

$37.5K ₫985.9M

$49.0K ៛196.9M

-23.39%

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

$33.6K ₫881.9M

$37.0K ៛148.6M

-9.16%

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

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$73.1 ៛294.0K

16.02%

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

$6.06 ₫159.3K

$6.13 ៛24.7K

-1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.14 ₫240.2K

$19.40 ៛78.0K

-52.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.73 ₫544.6K

$36.31 ៛146.0K

-42.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.37 ₫246.3K

$3.52 ៛14.2K

166.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 ₫111.8K

$4.46 ៛17.9K

-4.48%

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

$273 ₫7.2M

$375 ៛1.5M

-27.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K ₫362.2M

$4,917 ៛19.8M

180.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.85 ₫1.1M

$22.56 ៛90.7K

89.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.36 ₫718.8K

$18.51 ៛74.4K

47.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 ₫2.6M

$54.1 ៛217.6K

80.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ₫2.3M

$36.22 ៛145.6K

140.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₫13.8M

$315 ៛1.3M

67.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₫8.1M

$216 ៛868.5K

42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₫28.6M

$497 ៛2.0M

119.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ₫17.6M

$319 ៛1.3M

109.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,497 ₫118.2M

$2,470 ៛9.9M

82.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,791 ₫47.1M

$1,106 ៛4.4M

61.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ₫13.4M

$239 ៛959.9K

113.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.14

9.2

-0.65%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): May 30, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $315 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 113% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $217 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 15% 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.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 113% more on average, 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: $526 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $315 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $826 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $720 in Siem Reap – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Siem Reap gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Siem Reap delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $720 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 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.