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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $963 in Phnom Penh versus $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Phnom Penh versus $1,300 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,011 in Phnom Penh versus $1,773 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 17% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 28% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 ៛20.7K

$2.03 ₫53.2K

153.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.79 ៛119.8K

$22.91 ₫601.9K

30.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ៛27.9K

$4.69 ₫123.3K

48.19%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ៛10.7K

$1.69 ₫44.5K

56.80%

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

$1.02 ៛4,111

$0.50 ₫13.2K

104.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,154

$0.28 ₫7,263

267.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ៛5,900

$0.99 ₫26.0K

48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ៛10.3K

$1.50 ₫39.3K

70.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ៛8,342

$1.48 ₫38.9K

39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ៛5,853

$1.03 ₫26.9K

41.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ៛4,156

$0.98 ₫25.9K

5.10%

Eggs

$1.83 ៛7,346

$1.41 ₫36.9K

29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ៛50.8K

$11.88 ₫312.1K

6.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ៛16.2K

$3.60 ₫94.6K

12.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ៛42.0K

$10.55 ₫277.3K

-1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 ៛18.5K

$2.76 ₫72.5K

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,500

$1.10 ₫28.9K

47.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 ៛15.3K

$1.30 ₫34.1K

193.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ៛5,823

$1.16 ₫30.6K

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ៛6,719

$1.17 ₫30.7K

42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ៛4,992

$1.17 ₫30.9K

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ៛5,613

$0.70 ₫18.4K

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ៛2,689

$0.51 ₫13.4K

31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,167

$1.27 ₫33.2K

59.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ៛47.9K

$12.32 ₫323.6K

-3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ៛4,085

$0.85 ₫22.3K

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ៛6,838

$1.49 ₫39.1K

14.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ៛6,138

$0.28 ₫7,433

446.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 ៛43.4K

$10.75 ₫282.5K

0.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ៛4,172

$0.67 ₫17.7K

55.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,065

$0.69 ₫18.2K

46.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 ៛18.6K

$2.99 ₫78.7K

54.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ៛4,750

$0.82 ₫21.7K

43.90%

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

$49.6K ៛199.6M

$37.5K ₫985.9M

32.31%

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

$36.8K ៛147.8M

$33.6K ₫881.9M

9.49%

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

$106 ៛426.7K

$84.8 ₫2.2M

25.12%

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

$6.41 ៛25.8K

$6.06 ₫159.3K

5.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 ៛93.2K

$9.14 ₫240.2K

153.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ៛187.8K

$20.73 ₫544.6K

125.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.54 ៛58.5K

$9.37 ₫246.3K

55.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$4.26 ₫111.8K

8.45%

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

$374 ៛1.5M

$273 ₫7.2M

37.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ៛47.0M

$13.8K ₫362.2M

-15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.36 ៛89.9K

$42.85 ₫1.1M

-47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.30 ៛89.7K

$27.36 ₫718.8K

-18.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 ៛361.5K

$97.6 ₫2.6M

-7.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ៛290.4K

$87.1 ₫2.3M

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 ៛2.0M

$526 ₫13.8M

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ៛1.1M

$307 ₫8.1M

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ៛4.1M

$1,090 ₫28.6M

-6.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 ៛2.3M

$668 ₫17.6M

-15.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 ៛11.8M

$4,497 ₫118.2M

-34.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ៛6.0M

$1,791 ₫47.1M

-17.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 ៛1.4M

$509 ₫13.4M

-31.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

9.14

12.69%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: May 30, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Phnom Penh and $526 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Phnom Penh vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $198 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Phnom Penh. 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.

On paper, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) earns 46% less. 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: $504 in Phnom Penh versus $526 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 $963 per month in Phnom Penh versus $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 17% 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 0% less than in Phnom Penh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $963 in Phnom Penh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Phnom Penh. 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 $826 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, Phnom Penh 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 17% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.