Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuta, Lombok and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuta, Lombok: $715 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kuta, Lombok
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$715
/mo nomad
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$862
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Kuta, Lombok versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

  • Kuta, Lombok $715
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Kuta, Lombok versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

  • Kuta, Lombok $1,191
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,667 in Kuta, Lombok versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

  • Kuta, Lombok $1,667
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Kuta, Lombok costs roughly 17% 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: Kuta, Lombok 47% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
$1.98 ₫51.3K
-17.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.32 Rp 311.7K
$23.14 ₫599.0K
-25.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.87 Rp 51.6K
$4.76 ₫123.2K
-39.71%
Cappuccino
$1.33 Rp 23.9K
$1.86 ₫48.1K
-28.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 Rp 14.4K
$0.51 ₫13.3K
56.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 6,940
$0.32 ₫8,191
21.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 Rp 23.3K
$1.03 ₫26.7K
25.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 40.8K
$1.71 ₫44.4K
32.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
$1.58 ₫40.8K
-33.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 Rp 27.4K
$1.09 ₫28.3K
39.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.76 Rp 13.6K
$1.05 ₫27.2K
-27.62%
Eggs
$1.43 Rp 25.7K
$1.64 ₫42.6K
-12.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.42 Rp 205.6K
$12.33 ₫319.2K
-7.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.63 Rp 47.3K
$3.58 ₫92.6K
-26.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.07 Rp 145.3K
$10.56 ₫273.3K
-23.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 Rp 42.8K
$2.97 ₫76.9K
-19.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
$1.26 ₫32.7K
-16.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.3K
$1.62 ₫42.0K
-6.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 Rp 23.8K
$1.31 ₫33.8K
0.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 Rp 22.2K
$1.19 ₫30.8K
3.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 Rp 28.8K
$1.14 ₫29.6K
40.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$0.73 ₫18.8K
-12.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.36 Rp 6,400
$0.56 ₫14.6K
-35.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
$1.28 ₫33.0K
17.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.12 Rp 272.1K
$12.46 ₫322.5K
21.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 Rp 28.1K
$0.96 ₫24.9K
62.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 Rp 35.2K
$1.48 ₫38.3K
32.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.14 Rp 2,576
$0.26 ₫6,704
-46.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.17 Rp 93.0K
$11.43 ₫296.0K
-54.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 Rp 5,209
$0.68 ₫17.7K
-57.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.28 Rp 5,031
$0.62 ₫16.1K
-54.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 Rp 71.1K
$3.00 ₫77.7K
31.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.54 Rp 9,648
$0.91 ₫23.5K
-40.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.8K Rp 284.1M
$30.6K ₫791.4M
-48.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K Rp 376.4M
$29.4K ₫760.1M
-28.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 Rp 1.1M
$104 ₫2.7M
-41.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.95 Rp 89.2K
$5.79 ₫149.9K
-14.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.94 Rp 251.0K
$10.48 ₫271.3K
33.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.68 Rp 534.3K
$26.08 ₫675.1K
13.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.66 Rp 173.8K
$11.90 ₫308.1K
-18.82%
Cinema Ticket
$2.35 Rp 42.3K
$3.89 ₫100.7K
-39.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$314 Rp 5.7M
$440 ₫11.4M
-28.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,692 Rp 66.5M
$24.1K ₫622.7M
-84.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.78 Rp 626.1K
$50.9 ₫1.3M
-31.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.09 Rp 487.7K
$35.18 ₫910.8K
-23.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.2 Rp 1.1M
$92.1 ₫2.4M
-33.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.5 Rp 1.1M
$96.5 ₫2.5M
-37.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$436 Rp 7.9M
$582 ₫15.1M
-25.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$265 Rp 4.8M
$297 ₫7.7M
-10.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,392 Rp 25.1M
$1,298 ₫33.6M
7.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$684 Rp 12.3M
$727 ₫18.8M
-5.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,069 Rp 19.2M
$4,782 ₫123.8M
-77.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$884 Rp 15.9M
$1,853 ₫48.0M
-52.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kuta, Lombok
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$490 ₫12.7M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
8.64
59.49%

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

Last update for Kuta, Lombok: October 18, 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
Kuta, Lombok
$265
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$297 12% $32
Groceries & Markets
Kuta, Lombok
$193
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$208 7.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Kuta, Lombok
$83
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$124 49.6% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuta, Lombok
$80
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$120 50.1% $40
Eating Out
Kuta, Lombok
$53
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$64 20.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Kuta, Lombok
$34
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$34 1.5% $0.5
Getting Around
Kuta, Lombok
$7.4
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$16 119% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Kuta, Lombok and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Kuta, Lombok 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 Kuta, Lombok cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Kuta, Lombok
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🕒 Local time
00:21 12:21 AM
23:21 11:21 PM
1 h behind Kuta, Lombok
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,000
9,456,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kuta, Lombok Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kuta, Lombok
  • 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
Kuta, Lombok vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kuta, Lombok or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Kuta, Lombok wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuta, Lombok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kuta, Lombok and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
You'd need roughly $1,073 in Kuta, Lombok and $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kuta, Lombok compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Rent for a central apartment: $436 in Kuta, Lombok versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Kuta, Lombok compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
All in, you'll spend $715 per month in Kuta, Lombok versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Kuta, Lombok compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
A monthly transit pass in Kuta, Lombok runs roughly 121% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kuta, Lombok or in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
At $715 in Kuta, Lombok versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kuta, Lombok but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Kuta, Lombok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kuta, Lombok or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kuta, Lombok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $715 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kuta, Lombok hard to pass up.
How safe is Kuta, Lombok compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Safety-wise, Kuta, Lombok 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kuta, Lombok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Kuta, Lombok vs other spots: cost of living compared

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