Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vietnam and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Vietnam: $763 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Vietnam
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Vietnam Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇻🇳 Vietnam

$763

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $763 per month in Vietnam vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Vietnam $763
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $1,203 per month in Vietnam vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Vietnam $1,203
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $1,643 per month in Vietnam vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Vietnam $1,643
United States $5,258

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Vietnam ($432–$874), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Vietnam is roughly 72% lower than in the United States on average.

Vietnam sits 43% below the global median, while the United States is 100% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 ₫51.1K

$19.92 $19.92

-90.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 ₫499.5K

$81.0 $81.0

-76.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.64 ₫120.2K

$12.07 $12.07

-61.56%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₫44.2K

$5.55 $5.55

-69.19%

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

$0.49 ₫12.6K

$2.67 $2.67

-81.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,295

$2.09 $2.09

-84.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₫25.2K

$5.96 $5.96

-83.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$7.76 $7.76

-80.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₫37.8K

$1.05 $1.05

39.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₫25.0K

$3.55 $3.55

-72.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₫23.4K

$4.64 $4.64

-80.60%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.7K

$4.18 $4.18

-64.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 ₫299.3K

$12.76 $12.76

-9.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 ₫99.6K

$12.63 $12.63

-69.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 ₫245.9K

$17.22 $17.22

-44.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ₫73.7K

$5.15 $5.15

-44.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.5K

$1.64 $1.64

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ₫36.8K

$4.46 $4.46

-68.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$4.98 $4.98

-74.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.5K

$2.84 $2.84

-59.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.2K

$3.09 $3.09

-60.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$2.19 $2.19

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$2.27 $2.27

-77.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 ₫36.7K

$10.61 $10.61

-86.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.87 ₫255.4K

$14.71 $14.71

-32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$2.10 $2.10

-57.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₫38.0K

$3.82 $3.82

-61.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,822

$2.35 $2.35

-85.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.40 ₫217.4K

$64.1 $64.1

-86.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$3.57 $3.57

-78.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$1.85 $1.85

-70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 ₫58.2K

$30.19 $30.19

-92.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$1.07 $1.07

-15.89%

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

$30.9K ₫800.0M

$35.3K $35.3K

-12.43%

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

$30.1K ₫779.7M

$25.9K $25.9K

16.28%

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

$73.7 ₫1.9M

$217 $217

-65.97%

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

$5.74 ₫148.5K

$61.4 $61.4

-90.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.38 ₫242.8K

$74.4 $74.4

-87.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.37 ₫553.2K

$45.08 $45.08

-52.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.96 ₫231.9K

$23.07 $23.07

-61.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.96 ₫102.5K

$14.79 $14.79

-73.23%

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

$377 ₫9.8M

$1,480 $1,480

-74.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ₫514.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

-22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.79 ₫1.1M

$53.0 $53.0

-21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.50 ₫660.2K

$42.75 $42.75

-40.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 ₫2.2M

$94.3 $94.3

-8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 ₫2.0M

$115 $115

-32.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₫10.8M

$1,678 $1,678

-75.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ₫7.1M

$1,313 $1,313

-79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 ₫22.0M

$2,649 $2,649

-67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ₫14.6M

$2,183 $2,183

-74.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,743 ₫96.9M

$3,374 $3,374

10.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,903 ₫49.3M

$2,661 $2,661

-28.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$413 ₫10.7M

$4,404 $4,404

-90.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

6.55

33.59%

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

Last update for Vietnam: October 12, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vietnam

$276 36.1%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 377% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Vietnam

$191 25.1%

United States

$411 15.2% 115% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Vietnam

$104 13.6%

United States

$137 5.1% 32.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vietnam

$89 11.6%

United States

$352 13% 297% $264

Eating Out

Vietnam

$61 8%

United States

$327 12.1% 433% $265

Sport & Entertainment

Vietnam

$29 3.8%

United States

$75 2.8% 155% $45

Getting Around

Vietnam

$13 1.7%

United States

$86 3.2% 550% $73

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $376 in Vietnam vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $403 in Hanoi and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $343 in Vietnam vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 328% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 275% more in the United States.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1222% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Vietnam

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

18:51 6:51 PM

11 h behind Vietnam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,208,984

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Vietnam
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vietnam is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 254% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $376 in Vietnam.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Vietnam, adding to the overall 254% price gap.

$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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.