Is $1100 income enough?
Hi everyone!
I’m planning to move to Saigon for up to 6 months and I’m trying to figure out whether a $1,100/month income would be enough for a reasonably comfortable life there.
I’ve read quite a lot about the cost of living online, but most information I’ve found is either quite general or outdated, so I’d really appreciate some recent, real-life experiences from people currently living in Saigon.
I’m not looking for a luxury expat lifestyle. Ideally, I’d like to:
- rent a small 1-bedroom apartment, preferably in District 4
- eat mostly local food, although I’d still like to go to cafés and occasionally eat Western food
- go to the gym
- use Grab/motorbikes for transportation
- have some nightlife and go out for drinks from time to time
- occasionally travel around Vietnam
So, for those currently living in Saigon: is $1,100/month realistic for this lifestyle in 2026? And roughly how much would you expect to spend on rent, food, utilities, transportation, gym, and going out?
Any advice on where to look for an apartment in District 4 and what kind of rent I should realistically expect would also be appreciated.
Thanks!