Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu 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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Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Changshu versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Changshu $707
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,120 in Changshu versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Changshu $1,120
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Changshu versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Changshu $1,532
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Changshu costs roughly 17% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changshu 47% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.12

$1.90 ₫49.2K

42.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.35 ¥143

$23.32 ₫604.8K

-8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.30

$4.67 ₫121.2K

6.64%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ¥20.67

$1.85 ₫48.0K

67.03%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.34 ₫8,875

-20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.01 ₫26.2K

-6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.78

$1.69 ₫43.8K

21.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$1.58 ₫40.9K

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$1.04 ₫27.1K

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$0.99 ₫25.7K

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.31

$1.60 ₫41.6K

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 ¥86.1

$12.23 ₫317.3K

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.16

$3.54 ₫91.9K

-10.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ¥67.5

$10.44 ₫270.8K

-3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$3.09 ₫80.1K

-41.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.33

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.29

$1.57 ₫40.6K

-1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-41.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.98

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.72 ₫18.8K

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.54 ₫14.0K

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.35

$1.22 ₫31.6K

149.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 ¥71.2

$12.28 ₫318.5K

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.97

$0.98 ₫25.5K

-24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.91

$1.49 ₫38.6K

9.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$0.28 ₫7,264

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.85 ¥113

$11.62 ₫301.5K

45.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.16

$0.73 ₫19.0K

87.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 ¥45.56

$3.17 ₫82.2K

115.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$0.95 ₫24.7K

20.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$30.7K ₫797.2M

-37.04%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$30.6K ₫793.2M

-44.64%

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

$44.92 ¥300

$102 ₫2.7M

-56.09%

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

$9.95 ¥66.5

$5.65 ₫146.4K

76.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 ¥77.7

$10.52 ₫272.8K

10.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 ¥282

$25.86 ₫670.6K

63.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 ¥91.3

$11.82 ₫306.6K

15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.29

$3.39 ₫88.0K

73.45%

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

$340 ¥2,272

$438 ₫11.4M

-22.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$23.3K ₫604.4M

-26.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 ¥290

$51.5 ₫1.3M

-15.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 ¥201

$34.56 ₫896.2K

-12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ¥473

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-22.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ¥490

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,853

$577 ₫15.0M

-51.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,281

$292 ₫7.6M

-34.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,986

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-53.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ¥2,370

$717 ₫18.6M

-50.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 ¥20.4K

$4,714 ₫122.2M

-35.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 ¥13.4K

$1,882 ₫48.8M

6.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

8.64

-54.98%

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

Last update for Changshu: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Changshu

$198 27.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 3.9% $7.7

Accommodation & Living

Changshu

$192 26.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 52.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Changshu

$98 13.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 25.2% $25

Eating Out

Changshu

$85 12%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 25.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changshu

$67 9.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 78.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Changshu

$54 7.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 39.6% $21

Getting Around

Changshu

$21 3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 20.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Changshu and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Changshu vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $206 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changshu

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

14:51 2:51 PM

1 h behind Changshu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,677,050

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 = 3.44 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Changshu Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Changshu
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

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

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,061 in Changshu and $1,283 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: $277 in Changshu versus $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $707 per month in Changshu versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Changshu versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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, Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.