Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $863 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $42,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Monica, CA 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 Santa Monica, CA and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Da Nang $1,945

Santa Monica, CA costs about 413% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Monica, CA sits 228% above the global median, while Da Nang is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$2.30 ₫59.4K

1063.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$19.62 ₫508.0K

502.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$4.60 ₫119.1K

223.48%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$1.66 ₫43.0K

257.23%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$0.61 ₫15.7K

434.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.34 ₫8,877

605.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$1.34 ₫34.6K

506.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$2.36 ₫61.1K

321.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.60 ₫41.5K

-16.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.21 ₫31.3K

277.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.00 ₫25.9K

365.00%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$1.51 ₫39.1K

279.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$12.90 ₫333.9K

22.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$4.29 ₫111.1K

231.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$9.06 ₫234.6K

118.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.73 ₫70.6K

74.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.19 ₫30.8K

92.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.29 ₫33.4K

206.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.60 ₫41.3K

240.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.18 ₫30.4K

180.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.33 ₫34.3K

112.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.01 ₫26.1K

111.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.53 ₫13.7K

367.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$1.56 ₫40.3K

641.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$7.93 ₫205.2K

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.88 ₫22.9K

176.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.12 ₫54.9K

44.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.32 ₫8,182

687.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$4.99 ₫129.3K

1243.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.05 ₫27.1K

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.55 ₫14.3K

245.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$19.50 ₫504.8K

67.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.95 ₫24.5K

52.63%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.9K ₫799.2M

19.20%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$28.0K ₫724.6M

-8.65%

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

$218 $218

$76.6 ₫2.0M

184.41%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$6.47 ₫167.6K

616.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$8.08 ₫209.1K

705.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$24.98 ₫646.6K

182.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$5.35 ₫138.6K

724.49%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$3.07 ₫79.4K

530.62%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$161 ₫4.2M

950.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$15.2K ₫392.3M

114.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$45.38 ₫1.2M

95.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$27.22 ₫704.7K

101.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$100 ₫2.6M

3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$80.9 ₫2.1M

50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$529 ₫13.7M

529.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$349 ₫9.0M

719.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$1,053 ₫27.3M

450.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$811 ₫21.0M

522.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$3,834 ₫99.3M

183.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$1,308 ₫33.9M

505.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$363 ₫9.4M

1799.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

10.72

-38.25%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Da Nang

$349 40.4% 87.8% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Da Nang

$201 23.2% 56.6% $261

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Da Nang

$67 7.8% 83.7% $346

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Da Nang

$91 10.6% 72.3% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Da Nang

$114 13.2% 31.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Da Nang

$31 3.6% 71.6% $78

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 88.8% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA 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 1799% higher in Santa Monica, CA, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $201 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

07:16 7:16 AM

14 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

1,245,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Monica, CA Da Nang 12,570 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Monica, CA
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

Santa Monica, CA vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, $863 in Da Nang – roughly 413% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, CA 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 Da Nang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% more in Santa Monica, CA, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $863, than in Santa Monica, CA at $4,430. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Monica, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Santa Monica, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $863 in Da Nang to $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA. 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 Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.