Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $836 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,334 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,832 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 67% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$1.97 ₫51.8K

76.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$22.74 ₫596.9K

44.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$4.68 ₫122.9K

8.76%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$1.77 ₫46.4K

55.37%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.48 ₫12.5K

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.28 ₫7,252

153.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$1.03 ₫27.1K

179.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$1.58 ₫41.6K

144.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.52 ₫40.0K

17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$0.99 ₫25.9K

147.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$0.94 ₫24.7K

28.72%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$1.47 ₫38.5K

62.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$11.64 ₫305.6K

26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$3.72 ₫97.6K

13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$10.25 ₫269.0K

17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$2.66 ₫69.9K

37.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.15 ₫30.1K

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.31 ₫34.3K

107.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.17 ₫30.6K

94.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.16 ₫30.4K

63.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$1.17 ₫30.6K

96.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.71 ₫18.5K

43.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.50 ₫13.2K

56.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$1.22 ₫31.9K

165.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$12.67 ₫332.5K

89.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$0.92 ₫24.2K

208.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$1.42 ₫37.4K

96.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$0.28 ₫7,382

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$10.40 ₫272.9K

-20.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$0.70 ₫18.4K

-35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.69 ₫18.0K

-37.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$3.04 ₫79.8K

98.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$0.89 ₫23.3K

-3.37%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$38.2K ₫1.0B

-31.83%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$33.6K ₫881.5M

-5.62%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$84.4 ₫2.2M

-7.17%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$5.83 ₫153.0K

-31.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$9.23 ₫242.3K

163.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$20.56 ₫539.7K

365.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$9.30 ₫244.1K

-30.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$4.11 ₫107.8K

-2.43%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$276 ₫7.2M

9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$14.2K ₫373.4M

-53.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$42.41 ₫1.1M

25.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$26.94 ₫707.1K

43.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$96.8 ₫2.5M

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$84.8 ₫2.2M

-6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$529 ₫13.9M

92.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$304 ₫8.0M

121.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$1,094 ₫28.7M

207.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$655 ₫17.2M

221.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$4,142 ₫108.7M

-27.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$1,875 ₫49.2M

24.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$492 ₫12.9M

-63.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.14

45.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 12, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $529 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 177% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 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

Ubud, Bali vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Ubud, Bali. 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 177% 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $529 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 $1,395 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $836 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 67% 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 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $836 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,395 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. 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 $836 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, Ubud, Bali 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 67% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.