Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baiquan: $729 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baiquan
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Baiquan 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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Baiquan

🇨🇳 China

$729

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baiquan 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 Baiquan and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in Baiquan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Baiquan $729
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,151 in Baiquan versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Baiquan $1,151
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Baiquan versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Baiquan $1,574
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Baiquan costs roughly 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baiquan 46% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥18.96

$1.91 ₫49.6K

48.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 ¥135

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.35

$4.54 ₫117.6K

9.91%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ¥18.48

$1.85 ₫48.0K

49.19%

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

$0.50 ¥3.35

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.32 ₫8,185

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.13

$1.06 ₫27.5K

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥13.93

$1.72 ₫44.5K

20.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.94

$1.66 ₫42.9K

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$1.11 ₫28.7K

34.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-3.00%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥11.75

$1.67 ₫43.1K

5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 ¥90.7

$12.08 ₫312.8K

12.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ¥19.55

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.54 ¥63.8

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-6.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.21

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$1.24 ₫32.2K

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.79

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-16.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$1.30 ₫33.6K

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.37

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.56 ₫14.4K

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.67

$1.24 ₫32.1K

161.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 ¥74.8

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-11.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.20

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.48

$1.53 ₫39.6K

2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.26 ₫6,694

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.29 ¥116

$11.51 ₫297.9K

50.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ¥11.02

$0.75 ₫19.5K

120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.33

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-47.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 ¥49.36

$3.03 ₫78.5K

143.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$0.96 ₫24.8K

30.21%

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

$18.2K ¥121.5K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-41.49%

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

$15.5K ¥103.4K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-49.07%

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

$54.4 ¥363

$102 ₫2.6M

-46.70%

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

$9.68 ¥64.7

$5.89 ₫152.5K

64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.50 ¥70.2

$10.49 ₫271.6K

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 ¥246

$25.54 ₫661.2K

44.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.25 ¥109

$11.92 ₫308.5K

36.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ¥40.35

$3.53 ₫91.3K

70.82%

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

$450 ¥3,008

$436 ₫11.3M

3.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.4K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-27.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.80 ¥326

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-7.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.35 ¥250

$34.15 ₫884.1K

9.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 ¥537

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 ¥531

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,971

$589 ₫15.3M

-49.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ¥1,252

$298 ₫7.7M

-37.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 ¥4,660

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-46.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ¥2,379

$711 ₫18.4M

-49.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,812 ¥25.5K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-18.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,827 ¥12.2K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-4.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

8.64

-61.11%

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

Last update for Baiquan: October 12, 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

Baiquan

$202 27.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 2.7% $5.5

Accommodation & Living

Baiquan

$187 25.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 59% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Baiquan

$111 15.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 10.7% $12

Eating Out

Baiquan

$84 11.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 24.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baiquan

$75 10.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 58.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Baiquan

$49 6.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 33.3% $16

Getting Around

Baiquan

$22 3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 23.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Baiquan and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Baiquan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $207 per month, with Baiquan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Baiquan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

1 h behind Baiquan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baiquan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Baiquan
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

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

Baiquan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,093 in Baiquan and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $295 in Baiquan versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $450 in Baiquan versus $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Baiquan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baiquan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Baiquan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baiquan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Baiquan and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baiquan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.