Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetouan: $662 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Tetouan
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Tetouan Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Tetouan

🇲🇦 Morocco

$662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $662 in Tetouan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Tetouan $662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $999 in Tetouan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Tetouan $999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,336 in Tetouan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Tetouan $1,336

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 30% more expensive than in Tetouan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Tetouan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.04 MAD 29.61

-37.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.99 MAD 175

26.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$8.23 MAD 80.2

-44.84%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.86 MAD 18.09

-0.54%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.75 MAD 7.27

-25.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 MAD 3.21

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.62 MAD 25.54

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.06 MAD 29.82

-43.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$0.89 MAD 8.70

86.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.19 MAD 1.85

484.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.96 MAD 19.14

-48.98%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.60 MAD 15.58

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.90 MAD 57.5

104.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$6.93 MAD 67.5

-46.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$12.23 MAD 119

-16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.63 MAD 15.88

81.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.38 MAD 13.48

-10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$0.88 MAD 8.63

77.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$0.86 MAD 8.42

51.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.90 MAD 8.80

36.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.73 MAD 7.16

57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.53 MAD 5.16

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.63 MAD 6.13

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.83 MAD 37.32

-67.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.34 MAD 81.3

51.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.15 MAD 20.99

-55.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.54 MAD 24.72

-39.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.54 MAD 5.23

-51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.56 MAD 122

-8.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.75 MAD 7.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.85 MAD 8.29

-21.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.30 MAD 32.20

-8.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.53 MAD 14.95

-37.25%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$33.9K MAD 330.4K

-8.33%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$30.8K MAD 300.3K

-1.44%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$43.42 MAD 423

134.87%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$10.72 MAD 105

-45.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$41.31 MAD 403

-74.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$15.00 MAD 146

70.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$12.02 MAD 117

-0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$3.83 MAD 37.34

-7.83%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$48.53 MAD 473

799.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$5,823 MAD 56.8K

299.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$18.06 MAD 176

192.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$47.28 MAD 461

-27.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$55.8 MAD 544

61.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$65.1 MAD 635

45.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$202 MAD 1,969

191.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$160 MAD 1,565

85.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$405 MAD 3,952

218.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$254 MAD 2,481

179.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,092 MAD 10.6K

328.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$744 MAD 7,251

155.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$405 MAD 3,945

21.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

5.5

57.09%

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 Tetouan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Tetouan

$160 24.3% 46.1% $137

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Tetouan

$185 27.9% 10.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Tetouan

$84 12.7% 31.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Tetouan

$95 14.4% 19.4% $23

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Tetouan

$95 14.3% 49.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Tetouan

$23 3.4% 30.5% $9.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Tetouan

$20 3% 18.4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $202 in Tetouan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 21% 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 $18.00 in Tetouan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $185 per month, with Tetouan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇦 Tetouan

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

04:28 4:28 AM

6 h behind Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

380,787

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, 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).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Tetouan 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Tetouan

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 Tetouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tetouan wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tetouan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $202 in Tetouan. 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 $662 in Tetouan – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tetouan runs roughly 9% 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 $662 in Tetouan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tetouan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Tetouan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tetouan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $662 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tetouan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Tetouan 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 Tetouan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.