Sa Pa at a glance
- Sa Pa ranks 7th of 13 priced cities in Vietnam on cost: $475 a month in essentials, 55% above Can Tho, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $282 covers that 0.6×.
- 110.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at province level.
- PM2.5 averages 17.9 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 13 Vietnam cities we track, so every row says whether Sa Pa is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $475 | $475 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $244 | $244 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $383 | $383 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $76 | $76 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $55 | $55 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $89 | $89 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $11 | $11 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $282 | $282 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $570 | $570 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $738 | $738 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Sa Pa, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.01 | $2.01 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $16.74 | $16.74 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.01 | $4.01 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.46 | $1.46 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.17 | $1.17 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.09 | $2.09 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.55 | $0.55 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.30 | $0.30 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.25 | $1.33 | $0.08 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.14 | $1.14 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.99 | $0.99 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.33 | $1.37 | $0.04 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.88 | $10.88 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.48 | $3.48 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.23 | $2.23 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.94 | $0.94 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.24 | $1.24 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.99 | $0.99 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.97 | $0.97 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.43 | $0.43 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.28 | $0.28 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $3.57 | $3.57 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.07 | $1.07 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.59 | $0.59 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.80 | $0.84 | $0.04 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $82.59 | $82.59 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $6.81 | $7.25 | $0.44 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $5.43 | $5.43 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $18.38 | $18.38 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $2.68 | $2.68 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Sa Pa has 110.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (province level). That is the highest of the 11 Vietnam cities we track. Vietnam's national figure is 100.4, so Sa Pa runs 10 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Sa Pa ranks against every city we track
Sa Pa sits ahead of 84% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 74% of 1010. Its weakest measure is women aged 20โ39, ahead of only 10% of 1001.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Sa Pa sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Sa Pa on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Sa Pa beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Sa Pa in the research deskOr unlock the Vietnam deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Stephan Klage, Public domain.
Data updated