Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Siem Reap: $806 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Siem Reap
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Siem Reap Living Index
42

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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Siem Reap

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$806

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Siem Reap versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Siem Reap $806
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Siem Reap versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Siem Reap $1,247
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,689 in Siem Reap versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Siem Reap $1,689
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Siem Reap costs roughly 6% 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: Siem Reap 40% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.43 ៛9,884

$1.91 ₫49.6K

27.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 ៛98.1K

$22.84 ₫591.2K

5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ៛31.7K

$4.54 ₫117.6K

72.03%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ៛6,857

$1.85 ₫48.0K

-8.65%

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

$0.70 ៛2,854

$0.56 ₫14.6K

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ៛1,746

$0.32 ₫8,185

34.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ៛4,148

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ៛8,045

$1.72 ₫44.5K

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ៛8,687

$1.66 ₫42.9K

28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ៛7,159

$1.11 ₫28.7K

58.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ៛3,540

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-13.00%

Eggs

$1.72 ៛6,979

$1.67 ₫43.1K

2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ៛61.9K

$12.08 ₫312.8K

26.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ៛11.5K

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ៛41.5K

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 ៛17.6K

$2.96 ₫76.5K

46.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ៛5,008

$1.24 ₫32.2K

-0.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 ៛14.9K

$1.56 ₫40.3K

135.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ៛4,431

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ៛5,415

$1.23 ₫31.9K

8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 ៛4,534

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-2.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ៛5,262

$0.74 ₫19.1K

75.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ៛3,227

$0.56 ₫14.4K

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.41 ៛5,709

$1.24 ₫32.1K

13.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 ៛31.5K

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-38.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ៛4,051

$0.96 ₫24.9K

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ៛9,162

$1.53 ₫39.6K

47.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ៛3,949

$0.26 ₫6,694

273.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.14 ៛61.5K

$11.51 ₫297.9K

31.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ៛8,169

$0.75 ₫19.5K

168.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,103

$0.67 ₫17.4K

50.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ៛20.3K

$3.03 ₫78.5K

64.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ៛5,310

$0.96 ₫24.8K

36.46%

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

$24.8K ៛100.7M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-20.21%

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

$22.7K ៛92.2M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-25.22%

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

$103 ៛417.4K

$102 ₫2.6M

0.77%

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

$5.82 ៛23.6K

$5.89 ₫152.5K

-1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.37 ៛62.4K

$10.49 ₫271.6K

46.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.20 ៛134.8K

$25.54 ₫661.2K

29.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.27 ៛57.9K

$11.92 ₫308.5K

19.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.2K

$3.53 ₫91.3K

40.79%

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

$283 ៛1.2M

$436 ₫11.3M

-35.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,488 ៛18.2M

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-80.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.69 ៛108.4K

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-49.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.31 ៛54.0K

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-61.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 ៛278.3K

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.31 ៛184.1K

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ៛1.3M

$589 ₫15.3M

-44.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ៛940.8K

$298 ₫7.7M

-22.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ៛2.7M

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-48.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 ៛1.8M

$711 ₫18.4M

-38.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,454 ៛10.0M

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-47.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 ៛4.5M

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-42.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 ៛969.1K

$490 ₫12.7M

-51.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.2

8.64

6.48%

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

Last update for Siem Reap: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Siem Reap

$235 29.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 11.8% $28

Accommodation & Living

Siem Reap

$232 28.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 28.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Siem Reap

$124 15.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 4.5% $5.6

Eating Out

Siem Reap

$77 9.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 17.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Siem Reap

$69 8.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 76.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Siem Reap

$43 5.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 24.4% $11

Getting Around

Siem Reap

$26 3.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 36.2% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Siem Reap and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 105% 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: $24.00 in Siem Reap vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Siem Reap

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

Same time as Siem Reap

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,800

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 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).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

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Siem Reap Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 420 km

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Siem Reap
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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

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

Siem Reap wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Siem Reap the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 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: $329 in Siem Reap versus $589 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 $806 per month in Siem Reap versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Siem Reap runs roughly 32% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $806 in Siem Reap versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Siem Reap the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Siem Reap delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Siem Reap hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.