Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $863 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

Jump to prices

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medan and in Da Nang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medan and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $613 per month in Medan vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

Medan $613
Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $940 per month in Medan vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

Medan $940
Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Medan vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

Medan $1,266
Da Nang $1,945

Medan is about 29% cheaper than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medan and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Medan 55% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$2.30 ₫59.4K

-25.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$19.62 ₫508.0K

-57.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$4.60 ₫119.1K

-35.87%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$1.66 ₫43.0K

-7.83%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$0.61 ₫15.7K

-42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.34 ₫8,877

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$1.34 ₫34.6K

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$2.36 ₫61.1K

52.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.60 ₫41.5K

-30.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.21 ₫31.3K

-2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-19.00%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.51 ₫39.1K

-12.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$12.90 ₫333.9K

-37.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$4.29 ₫111.1K

-16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$9.06 ₫234.6K

-29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$2.73 ₫70.6K

-12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$1.29 ₫33.4K

10.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$1.60 ₫41.3K

-41.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.18 ₫30.4K

-28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$1.33 ₫34.3K

35.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$1.01 ₫26.1K

-62.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.53 ₫13.7K

-16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$1.56 ₫40.3K

83.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$7.93 ₫205.2K

98.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$0.88 ₫22.9K

107.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.12 ₫54.9K

41.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.32 ₫8,182

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$4.99 ₫129.3K

18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$1.05 ₫27.1K

-51.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-65.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.50 ₫504.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.95 ₫24.5K

-15.79%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$30.9K ₫799.2M

-20.09%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$28.0K ₫724.6M

15.09%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$76.6 ₫2.0M

10.79%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$6.47 ₫167.6K

-51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$8.08 ₫209.1K

191.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$24.98 ₫646.6K

-32.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$5.35 ₫138.6K

57.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$3.07 ₫79.4K

7.17%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$161 ₫4.2M

-30.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$15.2K ₫392.3M

-88.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$45.38 ₫1.2M

19.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$27.22 ₫704.7K

41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$100 ₫2.6M

7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$80.9 ₫2.1M

37.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$529 ₫13.7M

-55.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$349 ₫9.0M

-74.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$1,053 ₫27.3M

-53.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$811 ₫21.0M

-73.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$3,834 ₫99.3M

-69.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$1,308 ₫33.9M

-57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$363 ₫9.4M

-40.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

10.72

-13.71%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Da Nang

$201 23.2% 10.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Da Nang

$114 13.2% 18.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Da Nang

$91 10.6% 18.3% $20

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Da Nang

$349 40.4% 289% $259

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Da Nang

$67 7.8% 14.6% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Da Nang

$31 3.6% 32.2% $7.6

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 18.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $233 in Medan versus $529 in Da Nang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Da Nang, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Medan versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $201 – making Medan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

Same time as Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

1,245,200

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Medan Da Nang 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medan
Da Nang

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

Medan vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $613 in Medan, $863 in Da Nang – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $920 per month in Medan and $1,295 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Da Nang, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Medan and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $613 in Medan and $863 in Da Nang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $613 in Medan to $863 in Da Nang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Da Nang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.