Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nam Dinh: $799 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Nam Dinh
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Nam Dinh Living Index
41

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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Nam Dinh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$799

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $799 in Nam Dinh versus $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Nam Dinh $799
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,286 in Nam Dinh versus $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Nam Dinh $1,286
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,772 in Nam Dinh versus $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Nam Dinh $1,772
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930

Living in Nam Dinh costs roughly 6% 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: Nam Dinh 41% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₫53.3K

$1.91 ₫49.3K

7.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.94 ₫592.6K

$22.93 ₫592.4K

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ₫112.6K

$4.69 ₫121.2K

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ₫50.1K

$1.80 ₫46.5K

7.78%

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

$0.48 ₫12.4K

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫7,899

$0.34 ₫8,812

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₫28.6K

$1.03 ₫26.7K

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₫50.2K

$1.72 ₫44.4K

12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ₫39.3K

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-8.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.6K

$1.09 ₫28.2K

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.06 ₫27.3K

-29.25%

Eggs

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.60 ₫41.3K

-5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ₫314.0K

$12.08 ₫312.1K

0.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₫98.0K

$3.66 ₫94.5K

3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 ₫251.6K

$10.35 ₫267.3K

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ₫86.5K

$3.01 ₫77.7K

11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ₫35.6K

$1.62 ₫41.9K

-14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.27 ₫32.7K

-9.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₫24.4K

$1.18 ₫30.5K

-20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.19 ₫30.7K

-8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ₫15.1K

$0.78 ₫20.1K

-25.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.38 ₫35.7K

$1.26 ₫32.5K

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 ₫321.0K

$12.85 ₫331.9K

-3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.4K

$0.90 ₫23.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.46 ₫37.6K

14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,164

$0.28 ₫7,260

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.63 ₫171.2K

$11.42 ₫295.0K

-41.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₫20.4K

$0.70 ₫18.2K

12.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.63 ₫16.3K

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ₫60.8K

$3.09 ₫79.8K

-23.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 ₫24.9K

$0.95 ₫24.6K

2.11%

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

$30.8K ₫796.2M

$30.5K ₫788.3M

1.01%

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

$28.7K ₫742.3M

$29.7K ₫767.8M

-3.33%

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

$85.6 ₫2.2M

$102 ₫2.6M

-16.25%

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

$5.30 ₫137.0K

$5.65 ₫145.8K

-6.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.61 ₫222.4K

$10.43 ₫269.5K

-17.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.61 ₫609.9K

$19.30 ₫498.7K

22.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.83 ₫202.3K

$11.81 ₫305.1K

-33.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 ₫122.4K

$3.83 ₫98.9K

23.76%

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

$186 ₫4.8M

$484 ₫12.5M

-61.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K ₫357.4M

$23.3K ₫602.3M

-40.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.02 ₫1.2M

$52.3 ₫1.4M

-8.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ₫675.3K

$34.35 ₫887.3K

-23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ₫2.2M

$92.3 ₫2.4M

-8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 ₫2.0M

$94.2 ₫2.4M

-16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₫10.4M

$647 ₫16.7M

-37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ₫7.3M

$297 ₫7.7M

-5.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₫21.1M

$1,291 ₫33.3M

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₫16.2M

$719 ₫18.6M

-12.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,265 ₫58.5M

$4,327 ₫111.8M

-47.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₫30.9M

$1,987 ₫51.3M

-39.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

8.64

-4.17%

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

Last update for Nam Dinh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nam Dinh

$282 35.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9% 5.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Nam Dinh

$201 25.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4% 3.6% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nam Dinh

$107 13.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 15.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nam Dinh

$100 12.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 18.9% $19

Eating Out

Nam Dinh

$65 8.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 3.5% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nam Dinh

$33 4.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2% 18.5% $6.1

Getting Around

Nam Dinh

$12 1.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 42.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $404 in Nam Dinh and $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Nam Dinh vs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $208 per month, with Nam Dinh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Nam Dinh

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Nam Dinh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,229

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nam Dinh Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nam Dinh
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

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

Nam Dinh wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nam Dinh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,199 in Nam Dinh and $1,279 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $404 in Nam Dinh versus $647 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 4% 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 $799 per month in Nam Dinh versus $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Nam Dinh is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Nam Dinh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nam Dinh and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.