Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vietnam and Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Vietnam: $766 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vietnam
Canada
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$766
/mo nomad
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vietnam and in Canada

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

A single person spends $766 per month in Vietnam vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

  • Vietnam $766
  • Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $1,214 per month in Vietnam vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

  • Vietnam $1,214
  • Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $1,662 per month in Vietnam vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

  • Vietnam $1,662
  • Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Vietnam ($437–$889), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Vietnam is roughly 67% lower than in Canada on average.

Vietnam sits 44% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.95 ₫50.2K
$18.16 CA$25.38
-89.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.34 ₫499.0K
$71.2 CA$99.5
-72.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.67 ₫120.5K
$10.81 CA$15.11
-56.80%
Cappuccino
$1.64 ₫42.3K
$3.78 CA$5.28
-56.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₫12.8K
$2.11 CA$2.96
-76.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ₫7,606
$1.66 CA$2.32
-82.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.93 ₫24.1K
$5.62 CA$7.85
-83.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 ₫40.8K
$5.72 CA$7.99
-72.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 ₫39.6K
$2.17 CA$3.04
-29.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 ₫26.3K
$2.60 CA$3.64
-60.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.96 ₫24.6K
$3.65 CA$5.11
-73.70%
Eggs
$1.55 ₫40.0K
$3.63 CA$5.07
-57.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.55 ₫298.1K
$10.76 CA$15.04
7.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.81 ₫98.4K
$11.90 CA$16.62
-67.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.99 ₫257.7K
$15.42 CA$21.55
-35.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.86 ₫73.9K
$4.03 CA$5.63
-29.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.14 ₫29.5K
$1.38 CA$1.94
-17.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 ₫34.7K
$3.88 CA$5.41
-65.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.25 ₫32.3K
$4.08 CA$5.70
-69.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 ₫29.6K
$2.57 CA$3.59
-55.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 ₫30.4K
$2.48 CA$3.46
-52.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.67 ₫17.2K
$2.65 CA$3.70
-74.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ₫13.4K
$1.71 CA$2.40
-69.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.45 ₫37.5K
$14.32 CA$20.01
-89.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.42 ₫243.2K
$13.49 CA$18.85
-30.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₫21.4K
$2.84 CA$3.97
-70.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 ₫39.1K
$3.30 CA$4.62
-54.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 ₫7,645
$2.55 CA$3.57
-88.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.91 ₫281.5K
$71.9 CA$101
-84.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 ₫20.8K
$3.18 CA$4.44
-74.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.56 ₫14.5K
$1.54 CA$2.15
-63.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 ₫58.4K
$26.69 CA$37.30
-91.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 ₫23.0K
$1.24 CA$1.74
-28.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₫780.9M
$27.9K CA$39.0K
8.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.0K ₫749.3M
$21.1K CA$29.4K
37.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.4 ₫1.9M
$147 CA$206
-50.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.74 ₫148.1K
$41.80 CA$58.4
-86.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.47 ₫244.4K
$60.2 CA$84.1
-84.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.24 ₫548.1K
$39.01 CA$54.5
-45.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.95 ₫231.0K
$19.06 CA$26.64
-53.04%
Cinema Ticket
$3.97 ₫102.3K
$11.21 CA$15.66
-64.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$445 ₫11.5M
$721 CA$1,008
-38.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ₫505.9M
$14.8K CA$20.7K
32.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.30 ₫1.1M
$55.3 CA$77.2
-23.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.17 ₫675.3K
$38.95 CA$54.4
-32.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.3 ₫2.2M
$87.4 CA$122
-1.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.3 ₫2.0M
$101 CA$142
-24.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$425 ₫11.0M
$1,290 CA$1,803
-67.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$275 ₫7.1M
$1,130 CA$1,579
-75.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$897 ₫23.1M
$2,036 CA$2,845
-55.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$576 ₫14.9M
$1,731 CA$2,418
-66.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,799 ₫98.0M
$4,769 CA$6,664
-20.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,054 ₫53.0M
$3,730 CA$5,211
-44.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vietnam
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$413 ₫10.6M
$3,070 CA$4,289
-86.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.75
4.87
79.67%

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

Last update for Vietnam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vietnam
$275
Canada
$1.1K 310% $855
Groceries & Markets
Vietnam
$193
Canada
$371 92.4% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Vietnam
$104
Canada
$127 22.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vietnam
$89
Canada
$249 181% $161
Eating Out
Vietnam
$60
Canada
$278 361% $217
Sport & Entertainment
Vietnam
$29
Canada
$61 111% $32
Getting Around
Vietnam
$16
Canada
$93 492% $77

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $381 in Vietnam vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $429 in Hanoi and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $343 in Vietnam vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 228% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 220% more in Canada.

Public transport is 843% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 8.7 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Vietnam
🇨🇦 Canada
🕒 Local time
03:24 3:24 AM
15:24 3:24 PM
12 h behind Vietnam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
96,208,984
36,991,981
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vietnam Canada 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vietnam
  • Canada

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
Vietnam vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Vietnam?
Vietnam is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 67% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $381 in Vietnam.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Vietnam – part of why living there is about 67% cheaper overall.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget in Canada or in Vietnam?
$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Vietnam, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Vietnam?
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.

Vietnam vs other spots: cost of living compared

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