Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Vietnam

Name: Vietnam
Address: VN

For one person, living is cheaper in Vietnam: $766 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
Learn more

United Kingdom Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Vietnam
Learn more

Vietnam Living Index

Jump to prices

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Vietnam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Vietnam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in the United Kingdom versus $766 in Vietnam.

United Kingdom $2,462
Vietnam $766

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,600 in the United Kingdom versus $1,214 in Vietnam.

United Kingdom $3,600
Vietnam $1,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,738 in the United Kingdom versus $1,662 in Vietnam.

United Kingdom $4,738
Vietnam $1,662

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $437–$889 in Vietnam. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 221% more expensive than in Vietnam on average.

The United Kingdom (81% above) and Vietnam (44% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 £16.04

$1.95 ₫50.2K

1001.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 £64.0

$19.34 ₫499.0K

343.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.92

$4.67 ₫120.5K

127.19%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.67

$1.64 ₫42.3K

199.39%

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

$2.66 £1.99

$0.49 ₫12.8K

442.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.29 ₫7,606

544.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 £4.95

$0.93 ₫24.1K

612.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.11

$1.58 ₫40.8K

332.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.54 ₫39.6K

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.02 ₫26.3K

68.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.62

$0.96 ₫24.6K

126.04%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.99

$1.55 ₫40.0K

158.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 £7.03

$11.55 ₫298.1K

-18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 £6.86

$3.81 ₫98.4K

141.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £11.03

$9.99 ₫257.7K

47.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$2.86 ₫73.9K

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.14 ₫29.5K

42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$1.35 ₫34.7K

111.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.63

$1.25 ₫32.3K

181.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.15 ₫29.6K

59.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.18 ₫30.4K

36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$0.67 ₫17.2K

86.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.52 ₫13.4K

219.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.65 £17.66

$1.45 ₫37.5K

1531.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.84

$9.42 ₫243.2K

11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.23

$0.83 ₫21.4K

259.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.62

$1.51 ₫39.1K

132.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.97

$0.30 ₫7,645

1226.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.2

$10.91 ₫281.5K

884.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.87

$0.81 ₫20.8K

539.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.75

$0.56 ₫14.5K

319.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 £20.04

$2.26 ₫58.4K

1087.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$0.89 ₫23.0K

123.60%

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

$39.4K £29.5K

$30.3K ₫780.9M

30.34%

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

$40.5K £30.2K

$29.0K ₫749.3M

39.41%

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

$327 £244

$73.4 ₫1.9M

345.51%

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

$18.21 £13.60

$5.74 ₫148.1K

217.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.56

$9.47 ₫244.4K

360.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 £31.63

$21.24 ₫548.1K

99.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 £13.60

$8.95 ₫231.0K

103.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.34

$3.97 ₫102.3K

248.87%

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

$1,868 £1,395

$445 ₫11.5M

320.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.9K

$19.6K ₫505.9M

15.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 £69.4

$42.30 ₫1.1M

119.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.92 £34.29

$26.17 ₫675.3K

75.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$86.3 ₫2.2M

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.3

$76.3 ₫2.0M

34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 £1,002

$425 ₫11.0M

215.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 £801

$275 ₫7.1M

289.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 £1,666

$897 ₫23.1M

148.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 £1,301

$576 ₫14.9M

202.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,601 £4,182

$3,799 ₫98.0M

47.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,265 £3,185

$2,054 ₫53.0M

107.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,349 £2,501

$413 ₫10.6M

711.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

8.75

-39.20%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vietnam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6%

Vietnam

$275 36% 74.3% $798

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$389 15.8%

Vietnam

$89 11.6% 77.2% $300

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$328 13.3%

Vietnam

$60 7.9% 81.6% $267

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$307 12.5%

Vietnam

$193 25.2% 37.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$154 6.3%

Vietnam

$104 13.6% 32.6% $50

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$140 5.7%

Vietnam

$16 2.1% 88.8% $125

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$70 2.9%

Vietnam

$29 3.8% 58.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,287 in the United Kingdom, $381 in Vietnam. Capital cities: $2,811 in London vs $429 in Hanoi.

National salary averages: $3,251 in the United Kingdom, $343 in Vietnam. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 238% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 315% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1343% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 9.5 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇻🇳 Vietnam

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

22:54 10:54 PM

7 h ahead of the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

96,208,984

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United Kingdom Vietnam 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
Vietnam

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

United Kingdom vs Vietnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom and $766 in Vietnam, Vietnam comes out about 69% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Vietnam: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $381 in Vietnam. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Vietnam wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.