Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross 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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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Southern Cross versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Southern Cross $2,347
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,547 in Southern Cross versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Southern Cross $3,547
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,747 in Southern Cross versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Southern Cross $4,747
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Southern Cross is roughly 173% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Southern Cross is 74% above, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 A$28.30

$1.91 ₫49.6K

929.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 A$89.1

$22.84 ₫591.2K

171.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$15.13

$4.54 ₫117.6K

131.72%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.14

$1.85 ₫48.0K

92.97%

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

$2.47 A$3.55

$0.56 ₫14.6K

341.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.44

$0.32 ₫8,185

431.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 A$10.19

$1.06 ₫27.5K

567.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$1.72 ₫44.5K

377.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.80

$1.11 ₫28.7K

137.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$1.00 ₫25.9K

118.00%

Eggs

$2.72 A$3.92

$1.67 ₫43.1K

62.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.55

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-22.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 A$13.16

$3.68 ₫95.2K

148.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 A$21.13

$10.24 ₫265.1K

43.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.51

$2.96 ₫76.5K

29.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$1.24 ₫32.2K

150.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$1.56 ₫40.3K

112.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$1.30 ₫33.6K

266.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.07

$1.23 ₫31.9K

130.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.43

$1.15 ₫29.8K

106.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$0.74 ₫19.1K

224.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$0.56 ₫14.4K

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.77 A$50.0

$1.24 ₫32.1K

2704.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 A$20.19

$12.60 ₫326.1K

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.67

$0.96 ₫24.9K

382.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.67

$1.53 ₫39.6K

248.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.88

$0.26 ₫6,694

938.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.3 A$133

$11.51 ₫297.9K

702.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 A$4.32

$0.75 ₫19.5K

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.40

$0.67 ₫17.4K

147.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.90 A$56.0

$3.03 ₫78.5K

1183.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.80

$0.96 ₫24.8K

30.21%

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

$24.1K A$34.7K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-22.37%

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

$28.1K A$40.5K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-7.34%

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

$201 A$289

$102 ₫2.6M

96.78%

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

$28.18 A$40.56

$5.89 ₫152.5K

378.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$81.7

$10.49 ₫271.6K

441.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 A$71.6

$25.54 ₫661.2K

94.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.77

$11.92 ₫308.5K

50.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 A$19.20

$3.53 ₫91.3K

277.90%

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

$2,080 A$2,994

$436 ₫11.3M

376.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$25.9K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-22.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 A$116

$52.8 ₫1.4M

53.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 A$82.2

$34.15 ₫884.1K

67.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 A$141

$90.3 ₫2.3M

8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$95.0 ₫2.5M

39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 A$1,821

$589 ₫15.3M

114.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,507

$298 ₫7.7M

251.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 A$3,180

$1,292 ₫33.5M

71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$711 ₫18.4M

172.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,734 A$8,251

$4,676 ₫121.1M

22.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,261 A$7,571

$1,904 ₫49.3M

176.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,010 A$10.1K

$490 ₫12.7M

1331.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

8.64

-27.66%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 71.6% $749

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$357 15.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 42% $150

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$300 12.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 78.9% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$286 12.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 58.6% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$166 7.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 26.1% $43

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$114 4.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 85.4% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$76 3.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 57.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Southern Cross and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays 1332% 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: $62.0 in Southern Cross vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

20:21 8:21 PM

1 h behind Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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 AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Southern Cross Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Southern Cross
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 173% lower than in Southern Cross. 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.

Average pay runs 1332% higher in Southern Cross, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,265 in Southern Cross 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 $2,347 per month in Southern Cross versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 173% 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 702% less than in Southern Cross. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,347 in Southern Cross, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Southern Cross. 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 $859 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, Southern Cross 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 173% less than in Southern Cross. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.