Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Hoi An and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $876 and $862 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Hoi An
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Hoi An Living Index
42

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

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Hoi An

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$876

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hoi An and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Hoi An versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hoi An $876
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,279 in Hoi An versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hoi An $1,279
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Hoi An versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hoi An $1,682
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Hoi An is roughly 2% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hoi An 35% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ₫59.1K

$1.98 ₫51.3K

15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.56 ₫480.5K

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-19.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ₫97.7K

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-20.80%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₫44.9K

$1.86 ₫48.1K

-6.45%

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

$0.62 ₫16.0K

$0.51 ₫13.3K

21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,896

$0.32 ₫8,191

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₫35.2K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$1.71 ₫44.4K

-23.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.2K

$1.09 ₫28.3K

10.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-4.76%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 ₫335.6K

$12.33 ₫319.2K

5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 ₫105.8K

$3.58 ₫92.6K

14.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 ₫239.9K

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-12.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ₫68.2K

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-11.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₫28.6K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ₫26.0K

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-38.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ₫37.4K

$1.31 ₫33.8K

9.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.6K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-0.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ₫28.1K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.8K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 ₫38.7K

$1.28 ₫33.0K

17.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 ₫196.1K

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₫23.9K

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$1.48 ₫38.3K

2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₫5,666

$0.26 ₫6,704

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.82 ₫98.8K

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-66.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$0.68 ₫17.7K

45.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₫102.6K

$3.00 ₫77.7K

32.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.3K

$0.91 ₫23.5K

3.30%

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

$30.9K ₫800.8M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

1.18%

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

$28.4K ₫736.2M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-3.15%

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

$77.8 ₫2.0M

$104 ₫2.7M

-25.07%

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

$6.45 ₫167.1K

$5.79 ₫149.9K

11.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.03 ₫207.9K

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.74 ₫433.5K

$26.08 ₫675.1K

-35.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.74 ₫122.8K

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-60.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₫79.1K

$3.89 ₫100.7K

-21.34%

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

$116 ₫3.0M

$440 ₫11.4M

-73.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₫441.8M

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-29.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.44 ₫1.2M

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-8.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.51 ₫712.2K

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 ₫1.8M

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-25.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 ₫2.1M

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ₫11.2M

$582 ₫15.1M

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ₫10.2M

$297 ₫7.7M

33.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₫13.8M

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₫16.2M

$727 ₫18.8M

-13.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,561 ₫40.4M

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-67.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 ₫25.4M

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-47.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$294 ₫7.6M

$490 ₫12.7M

-40.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.34

8.64

19.68%

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

Last update for Hoi An: October 19, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hoi An

$395 45.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 25% $99

Groceries & Markets

Hoi An

$193 22%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 7.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Hoi An

$101 11.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 22.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hoi An

$92 10.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 30.1% $28

Eating Out

Hoi An

$64 7.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 1% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hoi An

$23 2.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 48.1% $11

Getting Around

Hoi An

$8.5 1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 91.1% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Hoi An and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Hoi An vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $208 per month, with Hoi An cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hoi An

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

Same time as Hoi An

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

9,456,700

💱 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

Hoi An Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Hoi An
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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

Hoi An vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $862 including rent). Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 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: $433 in Hoi An versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $876 per month in Hoi An versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 2% 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 199% less than in Hoi An. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $876 in Hoi An, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Hoi An. 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 $862 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, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 2% less than in Hoi An. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.