Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Vietnam

Name: Vietnam
Address: VN

For one person, living is cheaper in Vietnam: $761 a month against $800 in China, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. The total is higher in China despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Vietnam
Learn more

Vietnam Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Vietnam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in Vietnam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $761 in Vietnam.

China $800
Vietnam $761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $1,197 in Vietnam.

China $1,266
Vietnam $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $1,633 in Vietnam.

China $1,731
Vietnam $1,633

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $462 to $1,256, compared to $440–$876 in Vietnam. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China is roughly 5% more expensive than in Vietnam on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Vietnam 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$1.95 ₫50.6K

49.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$19.14 ₫495.5K

17.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$4.72 ₫122.2K

12.92%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$1.70 ₫44.1K

78.82%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$0.49 ₫12.6K

-2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.30 ₫7,687

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$1.00 ₫26.0K

7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$1.56 ₫40.3K

44.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.47 ₫38.1K

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$0.95 ₫24.7K

70.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$0.92 ₫23.8K

7.61%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$1.49 ₫38.5K

4.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$11.78 ₫305.0K

12.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$3.81 ₫98.7K

-11.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$9.67 ₫250.4K

17.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.81 ₫72.8K

-35.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.11 ₫28.6K

12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.40 ₫36.3K

10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$1.26 ₫32.6K

1.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.10 ₫28.4K

-35.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$1.21 ₫31.2K

-28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.72 ₫18.7K

-9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.48 ₫12.4K

22.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$1.42 ₫36.8K

164.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$9.92 ₫256.9K

18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$0.87 ₫22.6K

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$1.47 ₫38.1K

10.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.32 ₫8,167

-3.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$8.50 ₫220.1K

167.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$0.74 ₫19.1K

105.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.60 ₫15.6K

-38.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$2.28 ₫59.0K

219.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$0.95 ₫24.6K

31.58%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$31.0K ₫801.9M

-37.37%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$29.3K ₫759.3M

-41.65%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$72.8 ₫1.9M

-23.78%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$5.76 ₫149.2K

43.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$9.52 ₫246.3K

15.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$21.61 ₫559.4K

86.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$8.95 ₫231.8K

64.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$3.90 ₫101.0K

73.33%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$375 ₫9.7M

23.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$19.9K ₫514.4M

-1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$42.55 ₫1.1M

8.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$26.11 ₫676.0K

39.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$87.4 ₫2.3M

-12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$77.9 ₫2.0M

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$407 ₫10.5M

-2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$272 ₫7.0M

-11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$831 ₫21.5M

-1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$551 ₫14.3M

-15.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$3,676 ₫95.2M

23.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$1,896 ₫49.1M

20.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$410 ₫10.6M

162.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.75

-60.46%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Vietnam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Vietnam

$272 35.7% 13.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Vietnam

$191 25.2% 8.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Vietnam

$105 13.8% 1.6% $1.7

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Vietnam

$61 8.1% 30.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Vietnam

$88 11.6% 17.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Vietnam

$29 3.9% 45.4% $24

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Vietnam

$14 1.8% 50.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $376 in Vietnam. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $414 in Hanoi.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $343 in Vietnam. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 26% higher in Vietnam.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 154% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇻🇳 Vietnam

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

1 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

96,208,984

💱 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 = 3.44 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Vietnam 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

China
Vietnam

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

China vs Vietnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $761 in Vietnam, there's a 5% 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 cheaper in Vietnam: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

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.