Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $912 in Changchun, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. The total is higher in Changchun despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun 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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Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $912 in Changchun versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Changchun $912
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,335 in Changchun versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Changchun $1,335
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,757 in Changchun versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Changchun $1,757
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Changchun is roughly 6% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changchun 32% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ¥19.71

$1.91 ₫49.6K

54.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.24 ¥149

$22.84 ₫591.4K

-2.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥34.69

$4.54 ₫117.6K

14.32%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ¥16.66

$1.85 ₫48.0K

34.59%

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

$0.48 ¥3.20

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.32 ₫8,187

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$1.06 ₫27.5K

10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$1.72 ₫44.5K

5.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.66 ₫42.9K

14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$1.11 ₫28.7K

9.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$1.00 ₫25.9K

45.00%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥12.33

$1.67 ₫43.2K

10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.91 ¥233

$12.08 ₫312.9K

188.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 ¥39.33

$3.68 ₫95.2K

59.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$10.24 ₫265.2K

3.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-42.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$1.24 ₫32.2K

17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.88

$1.56 ₫40.3K

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$1.30 ₫33.6K

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.89

$0.56 ₫14.4K

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.44

$1.24 ₫32.2K

194.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.59 ¥138

$12.60 ₫326.2K

63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.26 ₫6,696

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.75 ₫19.5K

64.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.11

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-53.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$0.96 ₫24.8K

29.17%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-36.97%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-40.85%

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

$75.1 ¥502

$102 ₫2.6M

-26.34%

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

$4.52 ¥30.24

$5.89 ₫152.6K

-23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ¥99.5

$10.49 ₫271.7K

41.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 ¥257

$25.54 ₫661.3K

50.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.21 ¥28.18

$11.92 ₫308.6K

-64.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 ¥45.91

$3.53 ₫91.4K

94.33%

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

$546 ¥3,650

$436 ₫11.3M

25.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ¥143.2K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

-8.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 ¥496

$52.8 ₫1.4M

40.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 ¥303

$34.15 ₫884.3K

32.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥407

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ¥475

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,459

$589 ₫15.3M

-62.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,679

$298 ₫7.7M

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ¥3,847

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,073

$711 ₫18.4M

-56.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,661 ¥11.1K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-64.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 ¥6,789

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-46.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 ¥6,451

$490 ₫12.7M

97.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

8.64

-49.42%

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

Last update for Changchun: 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

Changchun

$315 * 34.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 34.2% $108

Accommodation & Living

Changchun

$251 27.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 18.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Changchun

$113 12.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 8.3% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changchun

$95 10.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 25.2% $24

Eating Out

Changchun

$82 9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 22.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Changchun

$52 5.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 37.5% $20

Getting Around

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 266% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Changchun and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changchun pays 97% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Changchun vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changchun

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

1 h behind Changchun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,066,906

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

Lowest

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Between locations

Changchun Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Changchun
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Changchun, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $218 in Changchun 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 $546 in Changchun 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $22.00 in Changchun. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $912 in Changchun, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Changchun. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Changchun 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Changchun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.