
Updated: August 26, 2020
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- Ho Chi Minh City on an example $800/month budget
- Ho Chi Minh City on an example $2,000/month budget
- Ho Chi Minh City on an example $5,000/month budget
- Cost of transportation, services and everyday items
Although most of our clients are located in Vietnam, we often receive emails from people in other countries who are planning to move to Ho Chi Minh City in the near future.
One of their most common questions is: How much does it cost to live in Ho Chi Minh City?
Overall, Ho Chi Minh City is an affordable place to live, especially when it’s compared to cities like London, New York, Tokyo or Sydney. However, like any other city, your total cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City can vary hugely depending on your expectations and lifestyle.
In general, we think it’s possible for a person from a Western country to live in Ho Chi Minh City on a minimum budget of approximately 18.5 million VND per month (approximately $800 USD at the current exchange rate). For this amount, you’ll be able to rent a small, basic apartment, buy a used scooter to get around, enjoy a mix of Vietnamese and international food and enjoy a decent, if simple, quality of life.
For a more comfortable life, we think a budget of approximately $2,000 per month is realistic. Finally, if you’re looking to enjoy a luxurious life in Ho Chi Minh City, or if you’re moving here with your family and need a large, comfortable place to live, you’ll generally want to budget $4,000+ per month.
Below, we’ve provided example apartments, vehicles and other information for each of these scenarios to provide you with an idea of what to expect if you decide to make the move to Ho Chi Minh City.
We’ve also provided pricing information for common items, such as taxi fares, groceries, movie tickets and more to give you more information on how much you can expect to spend after arriving.
Living in Ho Chi Minh City on $800 to $1,000 Per Month
Although a monthly budget of $800 to $1,000 per month won’t provide you with a luxurious lifestyle, it’s enough to enjoy a comfortable life in Ho Chi Minh City.
Our example budget of $800 USD per month is broken down as follows:
- $250 per month for renting a room/apartment
- $50 per month for renting or buying a scooter/motorbike
- $500 per month for food and other expenses and/or savings
First, let’s start with accommodation. In this price range, you’ll be able to either rent a small apartment or rent a room in a building with separate living quarters but a shared kitchen. For example, this 30 square meter room is fully furnished and priced at $250 per month.
Although we don’t offer apartments in this price range, you can find cheap apartments by searching on websites such as Craiglist and Batdongsan.
A motorbike is essential for getting around Ho Chi Minh City. If you don’t feel comfortable buying one outright, you can find decent quality scooters for rent for around 1 to 1.5 million VND per month (approximately $43 to $65 USD per month).
A cheaper option, at least in the long term, is to buy a used motorbike for yourself. Websites like Chotot.com have thousands of used motorbikes in the 10 to 20 million VND range ($430 to $860 USD).
As for food, drinks and entertainment, a budget of $800 to $1,000 USD will allow you to enjoy Vietnamese food easily and cook at home, all with a few international meals every month.
Living in Ho Chi Minh City on $2,000 Per Month
With a monthly budget of approximately $2,000 USD, you’ll be able to upgrade to a significantly higher quality apartment and enjoy a much higher standard of living.
Our example budget of $2,000 USD per month is broken down as follows:
- $650 to $700 per month for renting an apartment
- $50 per month for renting or buying a scooter/motorbike
- Approximately $1,250 per month for food, travel and other expenses and/or savings
The biggest upgrade with this budget is accommodation. By budgeting 30 percent of your total $2,000 per month for rent, you’ll be able to afford a high quality apartment in a managed building with its own gym, pool and other facilities.
Example apartments in this price range include Masteri An Phu, Masteri Thao Dien and Lexington Residence.
For example, this one bedroom apartment in Masteri An Phu is priced at $650 USD per month:
After rent, this leaves $1,300 USD per month for utilities, food, transportation, travel and other expenses. Dining out becomes much more manageable with this type of budget than a budget in the sub-$1,000 range.
With a budget in the $2,000 per month range, you’ll also be able to travel to destinations close to Ho Chi Minh City more easily. These include places like Vung Tau, Ho Tram, Phu Quoc, Da Nang and Nha Trang, as well as nearby countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
Living in Ho Chi Minh City on $5,000 USD Per Month
As an individual, a monthly budget of around $5,000 is enough to enjoy a very high quality of life in Ho Chi Minh City. With this amount, you’ll be able to rent a large, luxurious apartment in one of the city’s best buildings and enjoy all that the city has to offer in terms of dining, nightlife and general quality of life.
Our example budget of $5,000 USD per month is broken down as follows:
- $1,500 per month for renting an apartment
- $50 per month for renting or buying a scooter/motorbike
- Approximately $3,450 for food, travel and other expenses and/or savings
With this budget, you’ll be able to comfortably afford a luxury apartment in the $1,500 per month range. Example apartments in this price range include City Garden, Gateway Thao Dien, The Vista An Phu and Estella Heights.
For example, this two bedroom apartment in City Garden is priced at $1,500 per month:
After rent, this leaves $3,500 for utilities, food, transportation, travel and other expenses. Things such as high-end dining, travel inside Vietnam and internationally and other luxuries are all easily affordable with a monthly budget in this range.
Cost of Items & Services in Ho Chi Minh City
Below, you can find a list of common items and services with their current prices in Ho Chi Minh City. Please note that prices may vary depending on location, business and other factors. We update this list annually to ensure prices are current and accurate.
Item | Price (VND & USD) |
Taxi fare, 5km | 80,000 VND ($3.45) |
Taxi fare, airport to city | 150,000 to 250,000 VND ($6.47 to $10.78) |
Maid/housekeeping service, per 2-3 hour session | 200,000 VND ($8.63) |
50mbps home internet connection, per month | 400,000 VND ($17.25) |
Utility bill (electricity and water), 40-50 square meter apartment | Below 1 million VND ($43.17) |
Utility bill (electricity and water), 100 square meter apartment | 1.2 to 2 million VND ($43 to $86) |
Phone and 4G service, per month | 50,000 to 100,000 VND ($2.16 to $4.32) |
Monthly gym membership, local gym | 200,000 to 500,000 VND ($8.63 to $21.59) |
Monthly gym membership, international gym | 1 million VND ($43) |
Local meal (Vietnamese food) | 20,000-40,000 VND ($0.86 to $1.72) |
Typical meal at McDonalds/KFC | 100,000 VND ($4.31) |
Meal at Western restaurant | 100,000 to 250,000 VND ($4.31 to $10.77) |
Meal at high-end restaurant | 250,000 to 1,000,000 VND ($10.77 to $43.10) |
Can of Coke in supermarket | 9,000 VND ($0.39) |
Can of local beer in supermarket | 10,000 VND ($0.43) |
Bottle of local wine in supermarket | 150,000 VND ($6.48) |
Bottle of imported wine in supermarket | 300,000+ VND ($12.95+) |
Eggs, pack of 10, in supermarket | 24,000 VND ($1.04) |
Uncooked chicken breast/fillet, per kg., in supermarket | 80,000 VND ($3.45) |
White rice, 1kg, in supermarket | 20,000 VND ($0.86) |
Milk, 1 liter, in supermarket | 40,000 VND ($1.73) |
Fresh vegetables, per kg., in supermarket | 20,000 to 60,000 VND ($0.86 to $2.60) |
Fresh fruit, per kg., in supermarket | 10,000 to 60,000 VND ($0.43 to $2.60) |
Drinking water, 1.5 liter bottle, in supermarket | 8,000 VND ($0.35) |
Drinking water, 20 liter container, in supermarket | 40,000 VND ($1.73) |
Packet of cigarettes in convenience store | 13,000-40,000 VND ($0.56 to $1.73) |
What Costs More in HCMC Than Back Home?
In general, the cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City (and Vietnam in general) is significantly lower than in an equivalently sized Western city. However, there are some items that cost more in Vietnam than in the rest of the world:
- Cars. Cars are taxed highly in Vietnam, particularly imported cars from Europe or Japan. Most taxes are based on engine size, meaning large vehicles or performance cars are taxed at a higher rate than smaller ones.
Expect to pay 20-30% more for a domestically produced car (brands such as Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and others all produce some models in Vietnam) or 50-150% more for an imported car (brands such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Lexus and others). - Imported groceries. Imported food, cooking ingredients and other groceries tend to be more expensive in Vietnam than in their country of origin, due to the costs associated with transporting and selling them in Vietnam.
- Imported wine and beer. Many imported wines are 20 to 100% more expensive in Vietnam than in other countries.
- Computers, phones and other technology. Although Vietnamese tech brands such as VSmart are very affordable, most imported phones and other tech items are 10 to 20% more expensive in Vietnam than in the USA and other Western countries.
Cost of Living in Hanoi and Other Cities in Vietnam
In general, the cost of living in Hanoi is similar to that of Ho Chi Minh City. Apartments are priced very similarly and prices food, transportation and nightlife are largely the same.
Smaller cities, such as Da Nang, typically have lower living costs. As a general rule, you can subtract about 20 percent from the prices and example budgets listed above if you plan to move to a smaller city in Vietnam.