Vietnam Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $494 41%
- Food & drink $356 30%
- Getting around $102 9%
- Work + connectivity $111 9%
- Health, gym, fun $132 11%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Vietnam adds roughly 3% on top, about $36 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Vietnam →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 43% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $399
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $2.33 $75
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $6.52 $104
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.20 $70
- Coffees 45 × $2.06 $93
- Beers out 10 × $1.41 $14
- Getting around scooter + 12 taxis $102
- Coworking $88/mo $88
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $23
- Gym $23/mo $23
- Massages 2 × $13 $25
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $4.33
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the tracked prices below; utilities, the buffer and amortised health are modelled estimates.
Prices last checked between May and September 2026
Average prices in Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the cheapest countries in the region. Local food, coffee and a scooter cost very little, and rent is low outside the big cities. Imported goods and Western restaurants are the pricey exceptions.
Groceries and fuel
Where a business publishes a price we use it and name it: 72 of them sit behind the rows above, last checked between May and September 2026, and the i beside a price shows which. Where no business publishes one, a taxi fare or a long-term rent, the figure is an estimate drawn from published local sources. How these prices are collected ↗
Rent in Vietnam by city
Rent is where Vietnamese cities differ most. Below are the cities we track, from the big cities down to the cheap islands, against the national average, using our own estimates from local listings.
- Hanoi Pricier Hanoi is the capital and, on our numbers, the priciest place to rent. It is older and more local than Ho Chi Minh City, with a cool winter and the best street food in the country. The Old Quarter is charming and loud; districts like Tay Ho cost less and draw more expats.
- Ho Chi Minh City Pricier Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest city and the business center, a notch below Hanoi on our rents once you leave District 1. It is hot all year, set up for remote work, and the nightlife goes late.
- Da Nang Mid Da Nang is the city most remote workers pick: a beach, fast internet, and rents near the national average. It is cleaner and calmer than the big two, with Hoi An a short drive south.
- Hoi An Cheaper Hoi An is a small historic town near Da Nang, cheaper and slower. Good for a few months by the river or the beach, with fewer cafes and coworking spaces than a real city.
- Nha Trang Cheaper Nha Trang is a beach resort city with some of the lowest rents on this list. It is touristy and quieter for coworking than Da Nang, but hard to beat on price near the sea.
- Phu Quoc Cheaper Phu Quoc is an island in the south with the cheapest rents here. It is a resort island more than a city, so housing and cafes are basic and you fly in and out.
Is Vietnam expensive?
No. Vietnam is cheap, the cheapest of the countries we cover here. Rent, food, coffee and a scooter all cost little. What costs real money is imported goods, Western restaurants, and drinking at tourist bars instead of the local bia hoi. Even then, a big night out is hard to make expensive.
On the Digital Nomad setting the national average is about $1,200 a month, below Thailand ($1,540) and Indonesia ($1,400). Da Nang and the coast come in lower, while Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City sit at the top. Almost everywhere else we cover in the region costs more, and Singapore and Japan cost far more.
Sending money to Vietnam
If you earn abroad, you are converting to dong, and the numbers get big fast: a beer is 25,000 and rent is in the millions. A weak rate plus a transfer fee can cost 3 to 5% each time, which matters more the more you send.
Landlords usually want cash or a local bank transfer, sometimes a few months up front. Find the cheapest way to move money before you sign a lease. Compare different providers below, then the full Vietnam money guide covers ATMs, cards and cash.
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Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Vietnam money guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much do you need per month to live in Vietnam?
About $610 a month for a basic setup, $1,200 for a digital-nomad month with a one-bed and coworking, and $2,040 for a serviced apartment with taxis and dining out, per person at the national average. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are higher; Da Nang and the islands are lower. Use the calculator above for your own city and currency.
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Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand?
Yes, a bit. A nomad month averages about $1,200 in Vietnam against $1,540 in Thailand, mostly on rent. Food is about even and both are cheap. Vietnam wins on coffee and beer; Thailand has more polished coworking and condos.
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Can you live in Vietnam on $1,000 a month?
Yes, in most of the country. In Da Nang or Nha Trang, $1,000 covers a one-bed, local food and a scooter with room to spare. In central Hanoi or District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City it is doable but tighter.
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Where is the cheapest place to live in Vietnam?
The coast and the islands. Nha Trang and Phu Quoc have the lowest rents we track, around $270 for a one-bed, and Hoi An is cheap too. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the most expensive.
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What costs surprise people in Vietnam?
Health insurance and visa costs, same as anywhere. After that it is imported goods and Western groceries, which cost more than back home. Visa extensions and border runs add up over a long stay, and a daily Western coffee is pricier than the local ca phe sua da.