Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,347 in Southern Cross.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Southern Cross $2,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,547 in Southern Cross.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Southern Cross $3,547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $4,747 in Southern Cross.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Southern Cross $4,747

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 63% less than in Southern Cross, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below, Southern Cross is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$19.67 A$28.30

-90.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$61.9 A$89.1

-63.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$10.52 A$15.13

-56.84%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.57 A$5.14

-48.18%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$2.47 A$3.55

-77.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$1.70 A$2.44

-81.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$7.08 A$10.19

-85.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$8.22 A$11.83

-79.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.57 A$2.26

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.64 A$3.80

-57.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$2.18 A$3.14

-54.13%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.72 A$3.92

-38.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.42 A$13.55

28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$9.15 A$13.16

-59.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$14.68 A$21.13

-30.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.83 A$5.51

-22.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.11 A$4.48

-60.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.32 A$4.78

-53.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$4.76 A$6.85

-72.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.83 A$4.07

-56.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.38 A$3.43

-51.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.40 A$3.46

-69.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.47 A$2.11

-61.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$34.77 A$50.0

-96.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$14.03 A$20.19

-10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$4.63 A$6.67

-79.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$5.33 A$7.67

-71.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$2.70 A$3.88

-90.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$92.3 A$133

-87.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$3.00 A$4.32

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.66 A$2.40

-59.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$38.90 A$56.0

-92.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.25 A$1.80

-23.20%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$24.1K A$34.7K

28.81%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$28.1K A$40.5K

7.92%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$201 A$289

-49.18%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$28.18 A$40.56

-79.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$56.8 A$81.7

-81.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$49.78 A$71.6

-48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$17.91 A$25.77

-33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$13.34 A$19.20

-73.54%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$2,080 A$2,994

-79.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$18.0K A$25.9K

29.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$81.0 A$116

-34.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$57.1 A$82.2

-40.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$98.1 A$141

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$132 A$190

-28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$1,265 A$1,821

-53.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$1,047 A$1,507

-71.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$2,210 A$3,180

-41.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$1,939 A$2,790

-63.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$5,734 A$8,251

-18.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$5,261 A$7,571

-63.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$7,010 A$10.1K

-93.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.25

38.24%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Southern Cross: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6% 252% $749

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Southern Cross

$357 15.2% 72.3% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Southern Cross

$166 7.1% 35.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Southern Cross

$286 12.2% 141% $167

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Southern Cross

$300 12.8% 373% $237

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Southern Cross

$76 3.3% 135% $44

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Southern Cross

$114 4.9% 587% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,265 in Southern Cross. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays 1332% 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 $62.0 in Southern Cross for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $357 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

22:03 10:03 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

700

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Southern Cross 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Southern Cross

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 Southern Cross: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 173% lower than in Southern Cross. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1332% lower in Southern Cross. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,265 in Southern Cross. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,347 in Southern Cross – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 702% less than in Southern Cross. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,347 in Southern Cross, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Southern Cross. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Southern Cross 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Southern Cross. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.