Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Ulaanbaatar $1,159

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Ulaanbaatar $1,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Ulaanbaatar $2,602

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 26% less than in Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Ulaanbaatar 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

-66.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

-27.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

-16.46%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.35 MNT 8,452

-21.28%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.87 MNT 3,130

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.62 MNT 2,225

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$2.29 MNT 8,233

-55.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

-48.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.41 MNT 5,064

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$0.98 MNT 3,508

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$2.14 MNT 7,672

-53.74%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.11 MNT 7,596

-24.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

-0.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

-27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

54.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

-2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$2.36 MNT 8,492

-46.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

-56.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

-59.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.72 MNT 2,586

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.03 MNT 3,700

11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$1.75 MNT 6,281

-58.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.73 MNT 2,610

-26.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$1.66 MNT 5,961

-26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

18.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.50 MNT 5,403

-34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.74 MNT 6,246

-14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.29 MNT 1,045

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

-30.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.54 MNT 1,952

35.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.52 MNT 1,863

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

-51.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.12 MNT 4,016

-15.18%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

12.25%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

-10.74%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

43.86%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

-25.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

-24.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

-61.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

-34.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

-20.05%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$814 MNT 2.9M

-46.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

178.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

-36.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

-24.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$101 MNT 364.2K

-9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$184 MNT 661.7K

-48.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$578 MNT 2.1M

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$443 MNT 1.6M

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

-22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$992 MNT 3.6M

-27.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

147.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$973 MNT 3.5M

93.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$593 MNT 2.1M

-18.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

10.32

-16.28%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38% 51.6% $151

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1% 14% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9% 51.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9% 21.9% $26

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8% 79.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5% 131% $43

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 25.9% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $578 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 22% 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 $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $234 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

19:57 7:57 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,026 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ulaanbaatar 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ulaanbaatar

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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Ulaanbaatar. 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 22% lower in Ulaanbaatar. 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $578 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar – a 36% 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 44% less than in Ulaanbaatar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Ulaanbaatar. 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 $855 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 Ulaanbaatar 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 36% less than in Ulaanbaatar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.