- Home
- Cities
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Cost of living
What it costs to live in Ho Chi Minh City.
A monthly budget, line by line, in đồng and dollars, using only the figures in the guide’s Cost of Living chapter, with the chapter’s own advice beside each line.
Saigon is cheaper than it looks on paper, and more expensive than it looks in person.
Your month, estimated.
Figures from the Going Global guide, checked mid-2026, at the chapter’s rate of VND 26,300 to USD 1. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
| Line | Monthly | From the chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly total | ||
Figures from the Going Global guide, checked mid-2026. Ranges, not quotes: the chapter notes that prices and the exchange rate move, and that the neighbourhood articles and listings carry current numbers. Leisure and fitness are not included here.
The chapter’s reference budgets.
Three honest reference budgets for a couple or family in 2026, without school fees. Exchange rate: USD 1 = VND 26,300.
| Category | Modest (VND) | Comfortable (VND) | Premium (VND) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent (2–3 bed) | 15–25M | 30–50M | 60–100M+ |
| Utilities | 1.5–3M | 2–4M | 3–6M |
| Groceries | 3–5M | 6–10M | 12–20M |
| Eating out & cafés | 4–8M | 10–20M | 25–50M+ |
| Transport | 2–4M | 4–8M | 12–20M |
| Domestic help | 3–5M (pt) | 8–12M (ft) | 12–20M (ft+) |
| Leisure & fitness | 2–4M | 5–10M | 15–30M+ |
| Monthly total (ex. school) | ~31–54M (~USD 1,180–2,050) | ~65–114M (~USD 2,470–4,330) | ~139–246M+ (~USD 5,300–9,350+) |
Before you sign a lease: where it floods →
What changes the number most is the deliberate choice, made before month three, about which economy you are primarily participating in.
Last checked: mid-2026CorrectionsReport an error on this page