Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Vietnam

Name: Vietnam
Address: VN

For one person, living is cheaper in Vietnam: $766 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Vietnam
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Vietnam Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 States and in Vietnam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $766 in Vietnam, rent included.

United States $2,734
Vietnam $766

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,214 in Vietnam, rent included.

United States $3,985
Vietnam $1,214

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $1,662 in Vietnam, rent included.

United States $5,235
Vietnam $1,662

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Vietnam ($437–$889), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 257% higher than in Vietnam on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Vietnam is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$1.95 ₫50.2K

927.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$19.34 ₫499.0K

313.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$4.67 ₫120.5K

152.68%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.64 ₫42.3K

238.41%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.49 ₫12.8K

442.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.29 ₫7,606

648.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$0.93 ₫24.1K

558.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.58 ₫40.8K

402.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.54 ₫39.6K

-32.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.02 ₫26.3K

251.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$0.96 ₫24.6K

370.83%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.55 ₫40.0K

176.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$11.55 ₫298.1K

14.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$3.81 ₫98.4K

230.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$9.99 ₫257.7K

76.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.86 ₫73.9K

85.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.14 ₫29.5K

48.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.35 ₫34.7K

228.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.25 ₫32.3K

281.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.15 ₫29.6K

158.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.18 ₫30.4K

166.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.67 ₫17.2K

228.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.52 ₫13.4K

351.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$1.45 ₫37.5K

657.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.42 ₫243.2K

59.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.83 ₫21.4K

148.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.51 ₫39.1K

150.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.30 ₫7,645

546.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$10.91 ₫281.5K

444.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.81 ₫20.8K

341.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.56 ₫14.5K

235.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$2.26 ₫58.4K

1220.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.89 ₫23.0K

14.61%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$30.3K ₫780.9M

-4.99%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$29.0K ₫749.3M

-9.75%

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

$218 $218

$73.4 ₫1.9M

196.79%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$5.74 ₫148.1K

988.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$9.47 ₫244.4K

686.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$21.24 ₫548.1K

97.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$8.95 ₫231.0K

154.86%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$3.97 ₫102.3K

270.28%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$445 ₫11.5M

234.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$19.6K ₫505.9M

28.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.30 ₫1.1M

28.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$26.17 ₫675.3K

63.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$86.3 ₫2.2M

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$76.3 ₫2.0M

48.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$425 ₫11.0M

290.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$275 ₫7.1M

389.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$897 ₫23.1M

198.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$576 ₫14.9M

276.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,799 ₫98.0M

-13.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,054 ₫53.0M

20.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$413 ₫10.6M

941.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.75

-25.14%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vietnam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Vietnam

$275 36% 79.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Vietnam

$193 25.2% 53.6% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Vietnam

$89 11.6% 75% $266

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Vietnam

$60 7.9% 81.6% $268

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Vietnam

$104 13.6% 24.2% $33

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Vietnam

$16 2.1% 80.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Vietnam

$29 3.8% 59.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $381 in Vietnam. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $429 in Hanoi.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $343 in Vietnam. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 325% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 275% more in the United States.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇻🇳 Vietnam

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

12 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

96,208,984

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Vietnam 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Vietnam is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 72% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $381 in Vietnam.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Vietnam – part of why living there is about 72% cheaper overall.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Vietnam, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Vietnam is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.