Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $3,040 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth 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

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,040

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,040 in Perth versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Perth $3,040
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Perth versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Perth $4,133
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,226 in Perth versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Perth $5,226
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Perth is roughly 255% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Perth is 127% above, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 A$28.90

$1.90 ₫49.2K

958.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$122

$23.32 ₫603.7K

263.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$15.05

$4.67 ₫121.0K

124.41%

Cappuccino

$4.47 A$6.43

$1.85 ₫48.0K

141.62%

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

$2.85 A$4.09

$0.56 ₫14.4K

408.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.15

$0.34 ₫8,860

544.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 A$11.78

$1.01 ₫26.2K

711.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 A$11.77

$1.69 ₫43.7K

384.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.58 ₫40.8K

12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 A$4.58

$1.04 ₫27.0K

206.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.82

$0.99 ₫25.7K

98.99%

Eggs

$5.22 A$7.49

$1.60 ₫41.5K

226.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.97

$12.23 ₫316.7K

-26.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.08

$3.54 ₫91.7K

157.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 A$19.86

$10.44 ₫270.3K

32.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 A$6.68

$3.09 ₫79.9K

50.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.49

$1.26 ₫32.5K

148.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.90

$1.57 ₫40.6K

117.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 A$7.12

$1.26 ₫32.5K

293.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.06

$1.17 ₫30.4K

141.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.79

$1.15 ₫29.7K

68.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.24

$0.72 ₫18.7K

213.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 A$1.94

$0.54 ₫14.0K

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.49 A$61.0

$1.22 ₫31.5K

3382.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 A$18.19

$12.28 ₫317.9K

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.28 A$6.14

$0.98 ₫25.4K

336.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 A$4.91

$1.49 ₫38.6K

128.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 A$3.52

$0.28 ₫7,252

775.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$141

$11.62 ₫301.0K

745.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.09

$0.73 ₫18.9K

384.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.10

$0.64 ₫16.7K

128.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.5

$3.17 ₫82.0K

1185.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$0.95 ₫24.6K

42.11%

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

$27.3K A$39.2K

$30.7K ₫795.9M

-11.21%

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

$29.5K A$42.4K

$30.6K ₫791.9M

-3.52%

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

$198 A$284

$102 ₫2.6M

93.14%

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

$33.36 A$47.92

$5.65 ₫146.2K

490.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 A$90.4

$10.52 ₫272.3K

498.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$82.3

$25.86 ₫669.5K

121.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 A$30.97

$11.82 ₫306.1K

82.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.16 A$24.64

$3.39 ₫87.8K

406.19%

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

$2,277 A$3,271

$438 ₫11.3M

420.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K A$32.6K

$23.3K ₫603.3M

-2.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 A$110

$51.5 ₫1.3M

48.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 A$92.2

$34.56 ₫894.6K

85.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

$91.3 ₫2.4M

34.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 A$237

$94.9 ₫2.5M

73.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 A$2,788

$577 ₫14.9M

236.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 A$2,363

$292 ₫7.6M

463.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 A$3,930

$1,293 ₫33.5M

111.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,097

$717 ₫18.6M

200.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,449 A$12.1K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

79.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,054 A$8,696

$1,882 ₫48.7M

221.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,280 A$6,147

$486 ₫12.6M

780.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.89

8.64

-31.83%

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

Last update for Perth: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 54.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 82.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$364 12%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 43.5% $159

Eating Out

Perth

$324 10.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 80.4% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$294 9.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 59.7% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 36.4% $70

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 86% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$92 3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 64.4% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,941 in Perth and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 781% 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: $85.0 in Perth vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

17:44 5:44 PM

1 h behind Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,011 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Perth Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 255% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 781% higher in Perth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,941 in Perth versus $577 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 $3,040 per month in Perth versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 255% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 746% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $3,040 in Perth, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Perth 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 255% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.