Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Thiet: $657 a month against $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Phan Thiet
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Phan Thiet 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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Phan Thiet

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$657

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $657 in Phan Thiet versus $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Phan Thiet $657
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $850

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,065 in Phan Thiet versus $1,386 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Phan Thiet $1,065
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,386

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,472 in Phan Thiet versus $1,921 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Phan Thiet $1,472
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,921

Living in Phan Thiet costs roughly 23% 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: Phan Thiet 51% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ₫69.5K

$2.13 ₫54.8K

26.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.98 ₫592.0K

$23.43 ₫603.7K

-1.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 ₫116.0K

$4.55 ₫117.1K

-1.10%

Cappuccino

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$1.78 ₫45.9K

-66.29%

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

$0.38 ₫9,692

$0.53 ₫13.6K

-28.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ₫5,400

$0.32 ₫8,213

-34.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$1.08 ₫27.8K

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₫32.4K

$1.69 ₫43.6K

-25.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 ₫34.3K

$1.66 ₫42.8K

-19.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 ₫9,784

$1.19 ₫30.6K

-68.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₫25.9K

$1.03 ₫26.4K

-1.94%

Eggs

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 ₫314.0K

$12.24 ₫315.2K

-0.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ₫82.8K

$3.54 ₫91.1K

-9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 ₫215.3K

$10.25 ₫264.1K

-18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₫49.0K

$3.11 ₫80.2K

-38.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ₫21.6K

$1.22 ₫31.5K

-31.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₫28.7K

$1.43 ₫37.0K

-21.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.3K

$1.22 ₫31.5K

-3.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₫21.7K

$1.20 ₫30.9K

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.20 ₫31.0K

-39.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.52 ₫13.5K

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 ₫40.9K

$1.23 ₫31.6K

29.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 ₫246.3K

$11.55 ₫297.6K

-17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₫9,627

$0.93 ₫24.0K

-60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$1.48 ₫38.0K

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,638

$0.28 ₫7,233

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.81 ₫175.4K

$11.62 ₫299.2K

-41.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 ₫15.3K

$0.76 ₫19.5K

-21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$0.62 ₫15.8K

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 ₫74.4K

$3.12 ₫80.3K

-7.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.0K

$0.90 ₫23.3K

-1.11%

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

$30.7K ₫790.1M

$30.9K ₫796.1M

-0.76%

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

$28.0K ₫721.5M

$29.6K ₫762.3M

-5.34%

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

$43.14 ₫1.1M

$99.8 ₫2.6M

-56.78%

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

$6.74 ₫173.5K

$5.75 ₫148.1K

17.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.50 ₫244.7K

$10.29 ₫265.0K

-7.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.65 ₫480.5K

$18.18 ₫468.3K

2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.95 ₫204.9K

$12.16 ₫313.2K

-34.62%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 ₫50.3K

$3.90 ₫100.4K

-50.00%

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

$215 ₫5.5M

$530 ₫13.7M

-59.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,852 ₫99.2M

$26.6K ₫686.2M

-85.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.91 ₫590.2K

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-56.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.11 ₫595.3K

$34.88 ₫898.5K

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.17 ₫983.2K

$95.1 ₫2.5M

-59.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.2 ₫1.5M

$95.5 ₫2.5M

-39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ₫12.3M

$617 ₫15.9M

-22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₫7.3M

$297 ₫7.7M

-4.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₫16.5M

$1,311 ₫33.8M

-51.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ₫15.3M

$708 ₫18.2M

-16.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 ₫58.5M

$4,430 ₫114.1M

-48.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₫39.3M

$2,011 ₫51.8M

-24.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₫13.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

8.64

-5.44%

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

Last update for Phan Thiet: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phan Thiet

$285 43.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 35% 4.3% $12

Groceries & Markets

Phan Thiet

$164 24.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$205 24.1% 25.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Phan Thiet

$64 9.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$125 14.7% 95.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phan Thiet

$59 9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$116 13.6% 95.1% $56

Eating Out

Phan Thiet

$50 7.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.6% 28% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phan Thiet

$23 3.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$26 3.1% 15.1% $3.4

Getting Around

Phan Thiet

$12 1.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 41.1% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Phan Thiet and $617 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Phan Thiet vs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $205 per month, with Phan Thiet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Phan Thiet

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

Same time as Phan Thiet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

255,000

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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

Phan Thiet wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phan Thiet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $985 in Phan Thiet and $1,275 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: $476 in Phan Thiet versus $617 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 25% 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 $657 per month in Phan Thiet versus $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Phan Thiet is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Phan Thiet 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, Phan Thiet and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.