Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuy Hoa: $750 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Tuy Hoa
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Tuy Hoa Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Tuy Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $750 in Tuy Hoa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Tuy Hoa $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,222 in Tuy Hoa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Tuy Hoa $1,222

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,694 in Tuy Hoa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Tuy Hoa $1,694

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 15% more expensive than in Tuy Hoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Tuy Hoa 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.58 ₫66.9K

-23.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$23.12 ₫598.7K

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.61 ₫119.3K

3.25%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.69 ₫43.7K

10.06%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.39 ₫10.1K

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.23 ₫5,967

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.61 ₫15.7K

68.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.26 ₫32.5K

35.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.46 ₫37.9K

8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$0.45 ₫11.6K

142.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.03 ₫26.6K

1.94%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.38 ₫35.8K

18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$11.87 ₫307.4K

3.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.15 ₫81.4K

13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$11.40 ₫295.2K

-7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.98 ₫51.3K

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$0.78 ₫20.2K

61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.06 ₫27.4K

52.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.20 ₫31.0K

9.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.76 ₫19.8K

56.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.71 ₫18.4K

60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.80 ₫20.7K

-8.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.38 ₫9,883

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$1.56 ₫40.4K

-17.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$11.64 ₫301.3K

7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.57 ₫14.8K

68.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.84 ₫47.6K

-19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.28 ₫7,355

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$5.93 ₫153.5K

92.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.55 ₫14.3K

23.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.56 ₫14.5K

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.71 ₫70.1K

10.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.92 ₫23.8K

-1.09%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$30.8K ₫796.6M

-0.66%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$27.9K ₫722.2M

5.25%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$77.9 ₫2.0M

33.29%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$6.58 ₫170.3K

-12.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$9.15 ₫237.0K

14.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$23.26 ₫602.1K

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$7.11 ₫184.2K

67.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$1.96 ₫50.7K

98.47%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$215 ₫5.6M

104.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$3,902 ₫101.0M

516.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$41.54 ₫1.1M

22.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$24.04 ₫622.4K

46.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$48.84 ₫1.3M

88.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$75.2 ₫1.9M

28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$438 ₫11.3M

32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$290 ₫7.5M

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$835 ₫21.6M

55.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$666 ₫17.2M

9.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,230 ₫57.7M

114.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,304 ₫33.8M

42.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.28

4.35%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for Tuy Hoa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Tuy Hoa

$290 38.7% 2.1% $6.2

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Tuy Hoa

$180 24.1% 13.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Tuy Hoa

$85 11.4% 31% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Tuy Hoa

$94 12.5% 22% $26

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Tuy Hoa

$63 8.4% 2.4% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Tuy Hoa

$27 3.6% 19.8% $6.7

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Tuy Hoa

$10 1.4% 35.9% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $438 in Tuy Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23.00 in Tuy Hoa. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $180, with Tuy Hoa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Tuy Hoa

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

202,030

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Tuy Hoa 380 km

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Tuy Hoa

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 Tuy Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuy Hoa 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 Tuy Hoa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,125 in Tuy Hoa 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $438 in Tuy Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $750 in Tuy Hoa – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tuy Hoa runs roughly 93% 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 $750 in Tuy Hoa versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tuy Hoa but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Tuy Hoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tuy Hoa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $750 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tuy Hoa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Tuy Hoa 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 Tuy Hoa 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.