Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $734 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu 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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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Chengdu vs $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Chengdu $734
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Chengdu vs $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Chengdu $1,211
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Chengdu vs $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Chengdu $1,688
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Chengdu is about 14% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chengdu and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.11

$1.90 ₫49.1K

50.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥149

$23.32 ₫603.5K

-4.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.71

$4.67 ₫120.9K

4.71%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥19.96

$1.85 ₫47.9K

61.62%

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

$0.51 ¥3.40

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.34 ₫8,857

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$1.01 ₫26.2K

44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.55

$1.69 ₫43.7K

28.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.58 ₫40.8K

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$1.04 ₫27.0K

49.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.58

$0.99 ₫25.7K

-1.01%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.60 ₫41.5K

-1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥94.7

$12.23 ₫316.6K

15.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$3.54 ₫91.7K

4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ¥74.3

$10.44 ₫270.2K

6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$3.09 ₫79.9K

-39.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$1.26 ₫32.5K

3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.34

$1.57 ₫40.6K

-29.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$1.26 ₫32.5K

-9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-40.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.72 ₫18.7K

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.66

$0.54 ₫14.0K

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.59

$1.22 ₫31.5K

213.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.60 ¥30.71

$12.28 ₫317.8K

-62.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.45

$0.98 ₫25.4K

-16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$1.49 ₫38.5K

-2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.28 ₫7,249

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.70 ¥165

$11.62 ₫300.8K

112.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$0.73 ₫18.9K

86.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-51.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.26

$3.17 ₫82.0K

38.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$0.95 ₫24.6K

36.84%

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

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$30.7K ₫795.6M

-36.44%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

-44.19%

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

$47.43 ¥317

$102 ₫2.6M

-53.64%

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

$9.39 ¥62.8

$5.65 ₫146.1K

66.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$10.52 ₫272.2K

18.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 ¥183

$25.86 ₫669.2K

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 ¥75.5

$11.82 ₫305.9K

-4.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 ¥41.05

$3.39 ₫87.8K

81.12%

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

$376 ¥2,516

$438 ₫11.3M

-14.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥99.8K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-35.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.02 ¥167

$51.5 ₫1.3M

-51.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.00 ¥187

$34.56 ₫894.3K

-18.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 ¥383

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-37.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 ¥352

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-44.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,145

$577 ₫14.9M

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,716

$292 ₫7.6M

-12.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ¥5,472

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-36.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ¥3,580

$717 ₫18.6M

-25.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 ¥24.8K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

-21.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,928 ¥12.9K

$1,882 ₫48.7M

2.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,277 ¥8,531

$486 ₫12.6M

162.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

8.64

-60.88%

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

Last update for Chengdu: 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

Chengdu

$257 34.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 13.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 25.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 5.6% $11

Eating Out

Chengdu

$88 11.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 28% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 67.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 70.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$40 5.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 17.8% $7.1

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 43.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Chengdu 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 163% higher in Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $206 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

15:53 3:53 PM

1 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

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 = 3.45 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Chengdu Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Chengdu
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $734 in Chengdu, $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Chengdu 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 Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu 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 $734 in Chengdu and $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a gap of about 16%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $855. In Chengdu 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 $734 in Chengdu to $855 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 Chengdu. 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.