Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Vietnam Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Vietnam

Name: Vietnam
Address: VN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in China versus $711 in Vietnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in China versus $1,140 in Vietnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,568 in Vietnam.

Living in China is roughly 1% more expensive than in Vietnam on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Vietnam 48% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $466 to $1,226, compared to $426–$885 in Vietnam. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.65

$1.88 ₫49.1K

55.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 ¥147

$19.08 ₫498.0K

14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥33.83

$4.43 ₫115.6K

13.77%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.28

$1.68 ₫43.8K

79.76%

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

$0.47 ¥3.18

$0.52 ₫13.5K

-9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.32 ₫8,366

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$1.04 ₫27.2K

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.25

$1.51 ₫39.5K

50.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.10

$1.43 ₫37.3K

25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.41

$0.98 ₫25.5K

73.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.48

$0.95 ₫24.8K

2.11%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.81

$1.53 ₫40.0K

5.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ¥87.3

$11.36 ₫296.6K

14.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.77

$3.78 ₫98.7K

-10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.0

$9.70 ₫253.2K

16.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.97

$2.86 ₫74.7K

-37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.37

$1.10 ₫28.8K

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.89

$1.31 ₫34.2K

12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.69

$1.24 ₫32.4K

4.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$1.13 ₫29.6K

-30.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$1.20 ₫31.2K

-28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.32

$0.66 ₫17.2K

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.47 ₫12.3K

25.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.50

$1.37 ₫35.8K

177.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.9

$9.73 ₫253.9K

22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$0.86 ₫22.3K

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.42

$1.46 ₫38.1K

16.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.32 ₫8,375

-9.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 ¥150

$8.33 ₫217.3K

167.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.86

$0.77 ₫20.2K

90.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-33.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.12

$2.24 ₫58.5K

213.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$0.86 ₫22.4K

46.51%

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

$19.0K ¥127.5K

$30.0K ₫782.2M

-36.66%

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

$17.0K ¥114.3K

$29.8K ₫778.7M

-42.98%

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

$55.3 ¥371

$72.2 ₫1.9M

-23.41%

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

$8.77 ¥58.9

$5.98 ₫156.2K

46.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 ¥72.4

$9.24 ₫241.3K

16.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 ¥265

$20.88 ₫544.9K

89.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 ¥98.1

$8.71 ₫227.3K

67.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ¥45.15

$3.84 ₫100.1K

75.00%

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

$447 ¥3,002

$384 ₫10.0M

16.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥132.4K

$19.2K ₫501.3M

2.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 ¥293

$42.88 ₫1.1M

1.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 ¥235

$25.26 ₫659.2K

38.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥517

$87.2 ₫2.3M

-11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥518

$78.3 ₫2.0M

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥2,579

$413 ₫10.8M

-6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,549

$264 ₫6.9M

-12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥5,534

$839 ₫21.9M

-1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,169

$534 ₫13.9M

-11.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,687 ¥31.5K

$3,497 ₫91.3M

34.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 ¥15.7K

$1,787 ₫46.6M

31.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,269

$408 ₫10.7M

164.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

8.83

-60.70%

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

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Last update for Vietnam: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $290 in China, $378 in Vietnam. Capital cities: $953 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $421 in Hanoi.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $344 in Vietnam. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Vietnam.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 149% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Vietnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $846 per month in China and $656 in Vietnam, there's a 29% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Vietnam: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Vietnam across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Vietnam, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Vietnam wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.