Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
Learn more

Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,178

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,178
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

A couple spends around $1,895 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,895
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

A family of three spends $2,612 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,612
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 38% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 ¥30.39

$1.90 ₫49.2K

138.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 ¥196

$23.32 ₫603.7K

25.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ¥35.59

$4.67 ₫121.0K

13.92%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.57

$1.85 ₫48.0K

90.27%

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

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.34 ₫8,860

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$1.01 ₫26.2K

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.15

$1.69 ₫43.7K

-1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.58 ₫40.8K

5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$1.04 ₫27.0K

70.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.99 ₫25.7K

30.30%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥13.68

$1.60 ₫41.5K

27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 ¥97.2

$12.23 ₫316.7K

18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.46

$3.54 ₫91.7K

-9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

$10.44 ₫270.3K

7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.96

$3.09 ₫79.9K

-32.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.52

$1.26 ₫32.5K

36.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ¥13.44

$1.57 ₫40.6K

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$1.26 ₫32.5K

23.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.52

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.70

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ¥4.96

$0.72 ₫18.7K

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.54 ₫14.0K

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 ¥29.57

$1.22 ₫31.5K

262.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 ¥92.7

$12.28 ₫317.9K

12.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.88

$0.98 ₫25.4K

5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$1.49 ₫38.6K

21.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$0.28 ₫7,252

128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 ¥234

$11.62 ₫301.0K

200.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$0.73 ₫18.9K

171.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 ¥51.2

$3.17 ₫82.0K

141.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.95 ₫24.6K

33.68%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$30.7K ₫795.9M

-36.27%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$30.6K ₫791.9M

-40.72%

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

$59.0 ¥395

$102 ₫2.6M

-42.33%

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

$8.94 ¥59.9

$5.65 ₫146.2K

58.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.15 ¥94.7

$10.52 ₫272.3K

34.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥273

$25.86 ₫669.5K

57.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.56 ¥164

$11.82 ₫306.1K

107.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 ¥49.37

$3.39 ₫87.8K

117.70%

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

$650 ¥4,353

$438 ₫11.3M

48.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.8K

$23.3K ₫603.3M

5.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ¥471

$51.5 ₫1.3M

36.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 ¥271

$34.56 ₫894.6K

17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ¥586

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 ¥830

$94.9 ₫2.5M

30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,246

$577 ₫14.9M

61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 ¥3,469

$292 ₫7.6M

77.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 ¥16.0K

$1,293 ₫33.5M

84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 ¥7,654

$717 ₫18.6M

59.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K ¥84.1K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

166.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,393 ¥42.8K

$1,882 ₫48.7M

239.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,710 ¥11.4K

$486 ₫12.6M

252.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

8.64

-62.85%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 5, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$518 44%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 43.6% $226

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 9.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$145 12.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 15.6% $23

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$107 9.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 40.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 44.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 41.2% $23

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 59.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $577 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 252% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $206 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h behind Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,037 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,768 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,283 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin) 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin) and $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,178. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.