Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar 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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Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Ulaanbaatar $1,159
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Ulaanbaatar $1,881
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Ulaanbaatar $2,602
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Ulaanbaatar is roughly 36% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulaanbaatar 13% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

$1.90 ₫49.1K

195.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

$23.32 ₫603.5K

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

$4.67 ₫120.9K

19.70%

Cappuccino

$2.35 MNT 8,452

$1.85 ₫47.9K

27.03%

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

$0.87 MNT 3,130

$0.56 ₫14.4K

55.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MNT 2,225

$0.34 ₫8,857

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MNT 8,233

$1.01 ₫26.2K

126.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

$1.69 ₫43.7K

95.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MNT 5,064

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MNT 3,508

$1.04 ₫27.0K

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 MNT 7,672

$0.99 ₫25.7K

116.16%

Eggs

$2.11 MNT 7,596

$1.60 ₫41.5K

31.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

$12.23 ₫316.6K

0.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

$3.54 ₫91.7K

38.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

$10.44 ₫270.2K

-35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

$3.09 ₫79.9K

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 MNT 8,492

$1.26 ₫32.5K

87.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$1.57 ₫40.6K

132.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

$1.26 ₫32.5K

146.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MNT 2,586

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MNT 3,700

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-10.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 MNT 6,281

$0.72 ₫18.7K

143.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 MNT 2,610

$0.54 ₫14.0K

35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 MNT 5,961

$1.22 ₫31.5K

36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

$12.28 ₫317.8K

-15.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,403

$0.98 ₫25.4K

53.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MNT 6,246

$1.49 ₫38.5K

16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 MNT 1,045

$0.28 ₫7,249

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

$11.62 ₫300.8K

43.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MNT 1,952

$0.73 ₫18.9K

-26.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MNT 1,863

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

$3.17 ₫82.0K

104.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 MNT 4,016

$0.95 ₫24.6K

17.89%

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

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

$30.7K ₫795.6M

-10.92%

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

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

$30.6K ₫791.6M

12.03%

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

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

$102 ₫2.6M

-30.49%

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

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

$5.65 ₫146.1K

33.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

$10.52 ₫272.2K

31.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

$25.86 ₫669.2K

159.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

$11.82 ₫305.9K

52.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

$3.39 ₫87.8K

25.07%

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

$814 MNT 2.9M

$438 ₫11.3M

86.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-64.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

$51.5 ₫1.3M

57.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

$34.56 ₫894.3K

31.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MNT 364.2K

$91.3 ₫2.4M

10.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 MNT 661.7K

$94.9 ₫2.5M

94.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 MNT 2.1M

$577 ₫14.9M

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 MNT 1.6M

$292 ₫7.6M

51.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

$1,293 ₫33.5M

28.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MNT 3.6M

$717 ₫18.6M

38.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

$4,714 ₫122.0M

-59.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 MNT 3.5M

$1,882 ₫48.7M

-48.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 MNT 2.1M

$486 ₫12.6M

22.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

8.64

19.44%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 34% $151

Groceries & Markets

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 12.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 34% $63

Eating Out

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 44.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 28% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 56.8% $43

Getting Around

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 20.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Ulaanbaatar and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 22% 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: $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

1 h behind Ulaanbaatar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,401,200 Capital

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ulaanbaatar Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulaanbaatar
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Ulaanbaatar. 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 22% higher in Ulaanbaatar, 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: $578 in Ulaanbaatar versus $577 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 $1,159 per month in Ulaanbaatar versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 36% 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 44% less than in Ulaanbaatar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Ulaanbaatar. 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 $855 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, Ulaanbaatar 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 36% less than in Ulaanbaatar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.