Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hue: $491 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Hue
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Hue 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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Hue

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$491

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hue 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 Hue and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $491 in Hue versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hue $491
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $857 in Hue versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hue $857
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,224 in Hue versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Hue $1,224
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Hue costs roughly 43% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hue 64% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.98 ₫51.3K

-42.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.41 ₫295.3K

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-50.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.45 ₫89.4K

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-27.52%

Cappuccino

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.86 ₫48.1K

-42.47%

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

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$0.51 ₫13.3K

15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,259

$0.32 ₫8,191

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ₫20.2K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

-24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.71 ₫44.4K

-30.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₫34.7K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-15.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$1.09 ₫28.3K

-26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₫21.3K

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-21.90%

Eggs

$1.48 ₫38.4K

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 ₫332.8K

$12.33 ₫319.2K

4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 ₫108.3K

$3.58 ₫92.6K

16.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₫247.9K

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₫63.7K

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.8K

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 ₫17.9K

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-47.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.1K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₫10.5K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.30 ₫33.7K

$1.28 ₫33.0K

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 ₫200.3K

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₫19.2K

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.48 ₫38.3K

-10.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₫8,566

$0.26 ₫6,704

26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.26 ₫188.1K

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-36.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 ₫11.6K

$0.68 ₫17.7K

-33.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₫64.0K

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-17.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.7K

$0.91 ₫23.5K

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

$31.1K ₫804.2M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

1.62%

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

$27.6K ₫713.4M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-6.15%

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

$38.32 ₫992.1K

$104 ₫2.7M

-63.07%

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

$6.39 ₫165.5K

$5.79 ₫149.9K

10.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.77 ₫201.3K

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-25.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 ₫1.0M

$26.08 ₫675.1K

51.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.75 ₫200.6K

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-34.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₫88.7K

$3.89 ₫100.7K

-11.83%

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

$164 ₫4.2M

$440 ₫11.4M

-62.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,008 ₫233.2M

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-62.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.36 ₫811.9K

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-38.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 ₫483.1K

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-46.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.33 ₫1.0M

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-57.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.55 ₫998.1K

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-60.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₫3.5M

$582 ₫15.1M

-77.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₫2.6M

$297 ₫7.7M

-66.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 ₫13.4M

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-60.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₫9.1M

$727 ₫18.8M

-51.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 ₫39.1M

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-68.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,147 ₫29.7M

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-38.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$291 ₫7.5M

$490 ₫12.7M

-40.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

8.64

-20.49%

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

Last update for Hue: October 17, 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.

Groceries & Markets

Hue

$180 36.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 15.1% $27

Accommodation & Living

Hue

$101 20.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 195% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Hue

$58 11.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 115% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hue

$52 10.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 129% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Hue

$46 9.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 26.8% $12

Eating Out

Hue

$42 8.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 52.3% $22

Getting Around

Hue

$12 2.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 37.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Hue 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 68% 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: $11.00 in Hue vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $208 per month, with Hue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hue

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as Hue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,166,500

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

Hue Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hue
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

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

Hue wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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: $133 in Hue 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 $491 per month in Hue versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hue runs roughly 57% 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 $491 in Hue versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hue but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Hue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $491 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hue 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 Hue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.