Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $853 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Ubud, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 37% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

-42.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫591.8K

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

-35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.0K

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

-15.19%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.4K

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

-33.82%

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

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

-67.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,802

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

-61.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

-60.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.0K

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-52.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.2K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-10.92%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

-21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫311.8K

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

-31.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.4K

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

-7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.0K

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

-15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

-17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

-17.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-27.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

-35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-36.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

-50.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.51 Rp 9,303

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

-43.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.5K

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-42.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-60.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-50.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,252

$0.25 Rp 4,548

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫294.7K

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

46.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$0.44 Rp 7,964

59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.2K

$0.43 Rp 7,793

46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.7K

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

-42.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

15.85%

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

$30.5K ₫787.4M

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

28.00%

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

$29.7K ₫767.0M

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-6.38%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

29.29%

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

$5.65 ₫145.7K

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

-12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.2K

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

-43.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.1K

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

-60.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫304.8K

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

-33.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.8K

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

-10.30%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$491 Rp 8.9M

-1.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫601.6M

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

310.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.3M

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫886.3K

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

-1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

18.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$671 Rp 12.2M

-55.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

-63.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

-58.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.6M

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

58.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.6M

$164 Rp 3.0M

199.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

13.78

-37.30%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 126% $374

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 38.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 12.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 12% $14

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 70.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 115% $31

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 30.4% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays about 3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $288 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

74,800

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ubud, Bali 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ubud, Bali

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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ubud, Bali. 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.

Average pay in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 3 times higher, 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: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 32% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value at $853 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 Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.