What is the expense ratio of BNDX vs VNQ?

BNDX has an expense ratio of 0.07%, while VNQ has an expense ratio of 0.12%.

BNDX vs VNQ

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BNDX Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international bond securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.46%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $115.4B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: 2013-06-04

VNQ Vanguard

Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares (VNQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.12%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.89%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $65.8B ER: 0.12% Yield: 3.89% Since: 2004-09-29

Quick Verdict

BNDX has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.07% vs 0.12%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (-1.7% vs -1.5%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer BNDX for its higher yield (4.5% vs 3.9%).

Key Metrics

Metric	BNDX	VNQ
Expense Ratio	0.07%	0.12%
Dividend Yield	4.5%	3.9%
Fund Family	Vanguard	Vanguard
Category	International Bond	US Real Estate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

BNDX -15.9%

VNQ -4.4%

Performance Comparison

Period	BNDX	VNQ	Difference
1 Month	-1.70%	-5.96%	+4.26%
3 Months	-0.64%	+1.37%	-2.01%
6 Months	-2.64%	-0.92%	-1.72%
YTD	-0.64%	+1.37%	-2.01%
1 Year	-1.68%	-1.54%	-0.14%
3 Years	-1.90%	+8.92%	-10.82%
5 Years	-15.91%	-4.43%	-11.48%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	BNDX Fees	VNQ Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$140	$239	$99
$10,000	20 years	$600	$1,025	$424
$10,000	30 years	$1,938	$3,301	$1,362
$50,000	10 years	$698	$1,193	$496
$50,000	30 years	$9,692	$16,504	$6,812
$100,000	30 years	$19,383	$33,007	$13,624

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	BNDX	VNQ
Annualized Volatility	5.3%	18.9%
Max Drawdown	-19.1%	-38.8%
Sharpe Ratio	-1.48	-0.19

Dividend Comparison

Metric	BNDX	VNQ
Annual Dividend (per share)	$2.14	$3.49
Dividend Yield	4.46%	3.89%
Distribution Frequency	Monthly	Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 4 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

BNDX Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Vanguard Cmt Funds-Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund	231.22%
United Kingdom Gilt	32.33%
Bundesrepublik Deutschland Bundesanleihe	26.04%
French Republic Government Bond OAT	25.14%

VNQ Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund	1451.51%
Welltower Inc	707.58%
Prologis Inc	688.22%
American Tower Corp	476.51%
Equinix Inc	456.02%
Simon Property Group Inc	354.53%
Digital Realty Trust Inc	321.26%
Realty Income Corp	314.90%
CBRE Group Inc	287.69%
Public Storage	247.55%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BNDX if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose BNDX if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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