Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankang and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankang: $725 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Ankang
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Ankang Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

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Ankang

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankang and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ankang and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $725 per month in Ankang vs $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Ankang $725
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Ankang vs $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Ankang $1,132
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

A family of three spends $1,540 per month in Ankang vs $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Ankang $1,540
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Ankang is about 16% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Ankang and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Ankang 46% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.47 ¥9.81

$1.91 ₫49.6K

-23.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.99 ¥100

$22.84 ₫591.4K

-34.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.91 ¥19.47

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-35.90%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ¥14.40

$1.85 ₫48.0K

16.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.32 ₫8,187

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$1.06 ₫27.5K

41.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.87

$1.72 ₫44.5K

-13.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.37

$1.11 ₫28.7K

53.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-10.00%

Eggs

$1.49 ¥9.98

$1.67 ₫43.2K

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 ¥76.3

$12.08 ₫312.9K

-5.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 ¥27.53

$3.68 ₫95.2K

11.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ¥69.3

$10.24 ₫265.2K

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-42.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$1.24 ₫32.2K

-7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-20.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-3.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.52

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-44.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.61

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ¥22.16

$1.24 ₫32.2K

166.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 ¥66.2

$12.60 ₫326.2K

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$1.53 ₫39.6K

9.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ¥2.12

$0.26 ₫6,696

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.21 ¥115

$11.51 ₫298.0K

49.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.75 ₫19.5K

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-56.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ¥29.17

$3.03 ₫78.5K

43.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ¥9.08

$0.96 ₫24.8K

41.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.3K ¥129.4K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-37.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.5K ¥117.0K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-42.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$89.3 ¥597

$102 ₫2.6M

-12.39%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$3.26 ¥21.79

$5.89 ₫152.6K

-44.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.61 ¥71.0

$10.49 ₫271.7K

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 ¥300

$25.54 ₫661.3K

75.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.11 ¥87.7

$11.92 ₫308.6K

9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ¥38.00

$3.53 ₫91.4K

60.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$679 ¥4,541

$436 ₫11.3M

55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥115.3K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

-25.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.44 ¥264

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-25.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 ¥249

$34.15 ₫884.3K

8.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 ¥498

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-17.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ¥618

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥2,003

$589 ₫15.3M

-49.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,220

$298 ₫7.7M

-38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ¥4,118

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-52.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,583

$711 ₫18.4M

-45.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 ¥21.9K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-29.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,225 ¥14.9K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

16.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

8.64

-61.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ankang: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ankang

$193 26.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 7.3% $14

Accommodation & Living

Ankang

$182 25.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 63.2% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Ankang

$110 15.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 11.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankang

$103 14.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 14.7% $15

Eating Out

Ankang

$60 8.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 6.5% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ankang

$56 7.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 42% $24

Getting Around

Ankang

$21 2.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 21.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $299 in Ankang versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Ankang versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $207 – making Ankang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Ankang

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

12:16 12:16 PM

1 h behind Ankang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

894,853

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 25,894 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,990 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ankang Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ankang
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ankang vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,088 per month in Ankang and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ankang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $679 per month in Ankang and $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ankang, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Ankang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ankang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ankang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.