Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baotou: $768 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baotou
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Baotou Living Index
42

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

Jump to prices

Baotou

🇨🇳 China

$768

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $768 per month in Baotou vs $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Baotou $768
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Baotou vs $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Baotou $1,248
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

A family of three spends $1,728 per month in Baotou vs $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Baotou $1,728
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Baotou is about 11% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Baotou and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Baotou 43% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 ¥35.18

$1.98 ₫51.3K

165.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 ¥153

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-1.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 ¥63.5

$4.76 ₫123.2K

99.58%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ¥18.56

$1.86 ₫48.1K

49.46%

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

$0.47 ¥3.17

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.32 ₫8,191

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.59

$1.03 ₫26.7K

9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥12.77

$1.71 ₫44.4K

11.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$1.58 ₫40.8K

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.65

$1.09 ₫28.3K

45.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-38.10%

Eggs

$2.48 ¥16.55

$1.64 ₫42.6K

51.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 ¥92.1

$12.33 ₫319.2K

11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.86

$3.58 ₫92.6K

8.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.26 ¥82.0

$10.56 ₫273.3K

16.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.26 ₫32.7K

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.01

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.52

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-3.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.01

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-36.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-11.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-20.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.56 ₫14.6K

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ¥28.59

$1.28 ₫33.0K

234.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 ¥72.4

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.77

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.34

$1.48 ₫38.3K

4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.26 ₫6,704

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 ¥110

$11.43 ₫296.0K

43.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ¥6.85

$0.68 ₫17.7K

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-43.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 ¥47.38

$3.00 ₫77.7K

136.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.77

$0.91 ₫23.5K

27.47%

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

$21.1K ¥141.2K

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-30.91%

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

$20.1K ¥134.6K

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-31.43%

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

$58.0 ¥388

$104 ₫2.7M

-44.07%

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

$8.15 ¥54.5

$5.79 ₫149.9K

40.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ¥64.5

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.39 ¥317

$26.08 ₫675.1K

81.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.49 ¥104

$11.90 ₫308.1K

30.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ¥34.00

$3.89 ₫100.7K

30.59%

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

$371 ¥2,483

$440 ₫11.4M

-15.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥131.8K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-18.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.80 ¥286

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-15.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.08 ¥241

$35.18 ₫910.8K

2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 ¥492

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 ¥591

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ¥1,758

$582 ₫15.1M

-54.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ¥1,154

$297 ₫7.7M

-41.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 ¥4,042

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,543

$727 ₫18.8M

-47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,121 ¥20.9K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-34.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ¥13.6K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

10.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$666 ¥4,454

$490 ₫12.7M

35.95%

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 Baotou: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Baotou

$217 28.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 4.3% $9.4

Accommodation & Living

Baotou

$173 22.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 71.9% $124

Eating Out

Baotou

$117 15.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 44.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Baotou

$108 14.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 14.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baotou

$76 9.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 58.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Baotou

$58 7.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 41.2% $24

Getting Around

Baotou

$20 2.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 20.5% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Baotou versus $582 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.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Baotou, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Baotou versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Baotou vs $208 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Baotou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

1 h behind Baotou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,709,378

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

Baotou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baotou
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $768 in Baotou, $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,153 per month in Baotou and $1,294 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 Baotou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Baotou and $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Baotou, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Baotou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $768 in Baotou to $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Baotou. 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.