Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataram: $608 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Mataram
Learn more

Mataram Living Index
42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Mataram

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$608

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Mataram versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Mataram $608
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $967 in Mataram versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Mataram $967
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,327 in Mataram versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Mataram $1,327
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Mataram costs roughly 29% 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: Mataram 55% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

$1.98 ₫51.3K

-53.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 Rp 166.0K

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-60.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.21 Rp 57.8K

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-32.56%

Cappuccino

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

$1.86 ₫48.1K

-20.97%

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

$0.44 Rp 7,889

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 Rp 5,491

$0.32 ₫8,191

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

163.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$1.71 ₫44.4K

101.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

$1.09 ₫28.3K

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-23.81%

Eggs

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 Rp 128.2K

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-42.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 Rp 54.1K

$3.58 ₫92.6K

-16.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 Rp 133.0K

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-30.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$1.62 ₫42.0K

4.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 34.9K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

70.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,214

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 Rp 47.3K

$1.28 ₫33.0K

105.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.99 Rp 377.9K

$12.46 ₫322.5K

68.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.4K

$0.96 ₫24.9K

98.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 Rp 54.7K

$1.48 ₫38.3K

105.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,838

$0.26 ₫6,704

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,960

$0.68 ₫17.7K

-26.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,222

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-43.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 Rp 48.9K

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-9.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 Rp 11.2K

$0.91 ₫23.5K

-31.87%

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

$23.8K Rp 428.7M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-22.09%

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

$30.6K Rp 551.3M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

4.32%

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

$66.0 Rp 1.2M

$104 ₫2.7M

-36.44%

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

$3.96 Rp 71.3K

$5.79 ₫149.9K

-31.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.47 Rp 350.5K

$10.48 ₫271.3K

85.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.35 Rp 348.4K

$26.08 ₫675.1K

-25.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 Rp 146.8K

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-31.51%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 Rp 51.2K

$3.89 ₫100.7K

-26.74%

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

$94.8 Rp 1.7M

$440 ₫11.4M

-78.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,572 Rp 136.3M

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-68.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.19 Rp 795.3K

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.84 Rp 519.0K

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-18.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 Rp 1.3M

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 Rp 1.3M

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 Rp 4.0M

$582 ₫15.1M

-61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 Rp 2.4M

$297 ₫7.7M

-55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 Rp 9.5M

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-59.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 Rp 6.4M

$727 ₫18.8M

-51.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,184 Rp 21.3M

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-75.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$796 Rp 14.3M

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-57.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 Rp 4.0M

$490 ₫12.7M

-54.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

8.64

9.49%

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

Last update for Mataram: 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

Mataram

$201 33.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 3.2% $6.4

Accommodation & Living

Mataram

$133 21.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 123% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Mataram

$98 16.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 26.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mataram

$89 14.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 34.3% $31

Eating Out

Mataram

$58 9.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 10.7% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Mataram

$25 4.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 35.2% $8.8

Getting Around

Mataram

$3.3 * 0.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 393% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $225 in Mataram 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 121% 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: $9.00 in Mataram vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $208 per month, with Mataram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Mataram

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h behind Mataram

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

402,843

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mataram Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mataram
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

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

Mataram wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mataram the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 121% 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: $225 in Mataram versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $608 per month in Mataram versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $608 in Mataram versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mataram but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Mataram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mataram delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mataram hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mataram 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 Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.