Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $866 a month against $1,219 in Sao Tome, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome
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Sao Tome Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,219

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Sao Tome vs $866 in Da Nang, rent included.

Sao Tome $1,219
Da Nang $866

A couple spends around $1,924 per month in Sao Tome vs $1,402 in Da Nang, rent included.

Sao Tome $1,924
Da Nang $1,402

A family of three spends $2,629 per month in Sao Tome vs $1,937 in Da Nang, rent included.

Sao Tome $2,629
Da Nang $1,937

Sao Tome costs about 41% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Tome and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Sao Tome 10% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 STN 200

$2.30 ₫59.7K

299.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 STN 981

$19.11 ₫494.6K

135.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 STN 174

$4.54 ₫117.4K

75.99%

Cappuccino

$2.33 STN 50.8

$1.73 ₫44.7K

34.68%

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

$1.81 STN 39.49

$0.60 ₫15.5K

201.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 STN 27.64

$0.34 ₫8,807

273.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 STN 36.20

$1.38 ₫35.9K

20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 STN 40.98

$2.35 ₫60.8K

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 STN 33.18

$1.59 ₫41.1K

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 STN 22.12

$1.23 ₫31.7K

-17.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 STN 46.40

$1.05 ₫27.1K

102.86%

Eggs

$4.96 STN 108

$1.49 ₫38.5K

232.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.41 STN 423

$13.26 ₫343.2K

46.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.50 STN 425

$4.25 ₫110.1K

358.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.70 STN 538

$9.57 ₫247.8K

158.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 STN 83.3

$2.64 ₫68.3K

44.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 STN 38.75

$1.20 ₫31.2K

48.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 STN 78.2

$1.31 ₫34.0K

174.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 STN 75.9

$1.53 ₫39.5K

127.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 STN 61.6

$1.14 ₫29.6K

148.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 STN 50.4

$1.31 ₫33.9K

76.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 STN 11.76

$1.03 ₫26.8K

-47.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 STN 45.01

$0.53 ₫13.7K

288.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 STN 50.8

$1.51 ₫39.2K

54.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 STN 174

$7.54 ₫195.2K

5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 STN 34.09

$0.93 ₫24.2K

67.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 STN 36.01

$2.17 ₫56.2K

-23.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 STN 29.17

$0.35 ₫8,963

282.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.01 ₫129.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 STN 36.13

$1.04 ₫26.9K

59.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 STN 55.6

$0.56 ₫14.5K

355.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.93 STN 304

$19.19 ₫496.8K

-27.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 STN 36.95

$0.89 ₫23.1K

89.89%

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

$24.3K STN 529.0K

$30.4K ₫788.3M

-20.30%

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

$31.6K STN 689.7K

$28.1K ₫726.2M

12.79%

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

$233 STN 5,083

$78.5 ₫2.0M

196.89%

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

$30.60 STN 667

$6.17 ₫159.8K

395.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 STN 1,436

$8.35 ₫216.1K

688.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.92 STN 739

$25.33 ₫655.7K

33.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 STN 552

$5.45 ₫141.0K

364.59%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 STN 433

$3.29 ₫85.1K

503.65%

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

$226 STN 4,925

$160 ₫4.2M

40.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,179 STN 47.5K

$14.9K ₫385.9M

-85.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ₫1.2M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.1 STN 1,638

$27.90 ₫722.2K

169.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.53 STN 404

$81.1 ₫2.1M

-77.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 STN 6,161

$532 ₫13.8M

-46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 STN 4,184

$346 ₫9.0M

-44.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 STN 20.3K

$1,039 ₫26.9M

-10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 STN 9,846

$794 ₫20.6M

-43.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,850 STN 40.3K

$3,852 ₫99.7M

-51.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 STN 25.3K

$1,328 ₫34.4M

-12.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 STN 5,595

$354 ₫9.2M

-27.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

10.72

-31.16%

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

Last update for Sao Tome: October 18, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Tome

$412 33.8%

Da Nang

$202 23.3% 51% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Tome

$330 27%

Da Nang

$93 10.7% 71.8% $237

Accommodation & Living

Sao Tome

$192 15.7%

Da Nang

$346 39.9% 80.2% $154

Eating Out

Sao Tome

$150 12.3%

Da Nang

$68 7.9% 54.5% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Tome

$74 6%

Da Nang

$32 3.7% 56.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Tome

$42 * 3.5%

Da Nang

$115 13.3% 173% $73

Getting Around

Sao Tome

$20 * 1.6%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 48.2% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Sao Tome versus $532 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 38% higher in Da Nang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Sao Tome versus $19.00 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $202 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇹 Sao Tome

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

09:45 9:45 AM

16:45 4:45 PM

7 h ahead of Sao Tome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,300 Capital

1,245,200

💱 Currency

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe Dobra (Db)

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.51 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to STN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Tome Da Nang 11,220 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Tome
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

Sao Tome vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,219 in Sao Tome, $866 in Da Nang – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,829 per month in Sao Tome and $1,300 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,219 in Sao Tome and $866 in Da Nang. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Sao Tome and $160 in Da Nang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Sao Tome at $1,219. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Tome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Da Nang to $1,219 in Sao Tome. 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, Sao Tome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.