Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $866 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Da Nang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$866
/mo nomad
Zhongshan
🇨🇳 China
$695
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Zhongshan

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

A single person spends $866 per month in Da Nang vs $695 in Zhongshan, rent included.

  • Da Nang $866
  • Zhongshan $695

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Da Nang vs $1,110 in Zhongshan, rent included.

  • Da Nang $1,402
  • Zhongshan $1,110

A family of three spends $1,937 per month in Da Nang vs $1,525 in Zhongshan, rent included.

  • Da Nang $1,937
  • Zhongshan $1,525

Da Nang costs about 25% more than Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Da Nang and Zhongshan are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 36% lower, Zhongshan 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.30 ₫59.7K
$3.01 ¥20.14
-23.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.11 ₫494.6K
$24.23 ¥162
-21.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.54 ₫117.4K
$4.45 ¥29.76
2.02%
Cappuccino
$1.73 ₫44.7K
$2.83 ¥18.91
-38.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₫15.5K
$0.47 ¥3.11
27.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,807
$0.29 ¥1.91
17.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.38 ₫35.9K
$0.77 ¥5.13
79.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 ₫60.8K
$1.80 ¥12.05
30.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ₫41.1K
$1.53 ¥10.26
3.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.23 ₫31.7K
$1.64 ¥10.99
-25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 ₫27.1K
$0.68 ¥4.56
54.41%
Eggs
$1.49 ₫38.5K
$1.24 ¥8.29
20.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.26 ₫343.2K
$20.87 ¥140
-36.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.25 ₫110.1K
$2.80 ¥18.72
51.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.57 ₫247.8K
$13.54 ¥90.5
-29.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.64 ₫68.3K
$2.14 ¥14.34
23.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 ₫31.2K
$1.08 ¥7.20
11.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 ₫34.0K
$0.68 ¥4.56
92.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 ₫39.5K
$1.46 ¥9.76
4.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 ₫29.6K
$0.58 ¥3.89
96.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.31 ₫33.9K
$0.72 ¥4.84
81.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ₫26.8K
$0.43 ¥2.86
139.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₫13.7K
$0.53 ¥3.56
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.51 ₫39.2K
$2.93 ¥19.58
-48.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.54 ₫195.2K
$11.80 ¥78.9
-36.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 ₫24.2K
$0.69 ¥4.62
34.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₫56.2K
$1.81 ¥12.12
19.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 ₫8,963
$0.29 ¥1.91
20.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.01 ₫129.6K
$15.11 ¥101
-66.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.04 ₫26.9K
$1.45 ¥9.68
-28.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.56 ₫14.5K
$0.41 ¥2.75
36.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.19 ₫496.8K
$7.01 ¥46.88
173.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 ₫23.1K
$1.30 ¥8.70
-31.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K ₫788.3M
$19.6K ¥131.2K
55.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K ₫726.2M
$18.2K ¥121.6K
54.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$78.5 ₫2.0M
$40.99 ¥274
91.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.17 ₫159.8K
$10.15 ¥67.9
-39.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.35 ₫216.1K
$12.59 ¥84.2
-33.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.33 ₫655.7K
$67.0 ¥448
-62.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.45 ₫141.0K
$7.62 ¥50.9
-28.48%
Cinema Ticket
$3.29 ₫85.1K
$5.81 ¥38.88
-43.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$160 ₫4.2M
$317 ¥2,117
-49.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.9K ₫385.9M
$13.4K ¥89.4K
11.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.73 ₫1.2M
$48.42 ¥324
-7.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.90 ₫722.2K
$39.64 ¥265
-29.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 ₫2.6M
$59.9 ¥401
70.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.1 ₫2.1M
$75.5 ¥505
7.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$532 ₫13.8M
$210 ¥1,407
152.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 ₫9.0M
$125 ¥834
177.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 ₫26.9M
$376 ¥2,517
175.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₫20.6M
$217 ¥1,453
265.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,852 ₫99.7M
$2,531 ¥16.9K
52.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,328 ₫34.4M
$1,509 ¥10.1K
-12.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Da Nang
Zhongshan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$354 ₫9.2M
$956 ¥6,391
-62.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.72
3.35
220.00%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Da Nang
$346
Zhongshan
$125 63.9% $221
Groceries & Markets
Da Nang
$202
Zhongshan
$226 11.9% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Da Nang
$115
Zhongshan
$101 12.7% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Da Nang
$93
Zhongshan
$64 31.5% $29
Eating Out
Da Nang
$68
Zhongshan
$82 20.1% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Da Nang
$32
Zhongshan
$79 147% $47
Getting Around
Da Nang
$10
Zhongshan
$20 93.2% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Da Nang versus $210 in Zhongshan. 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 170% higher in Zhongshan, 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 $19.00 in Da Nang versus $24.00 in Zhongshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $226 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Da Nang
🇨🇳 Zhongshan
🕒 Local time
09:30 9:30 AM
10:30 10:30 AM
1 h ahead of Da Nang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,245,200
3,209,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Da Nang Zhongshan 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Da Nang
  • Zhongshan

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
Da Nang vs Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Da Nang and in Zhongshan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Da Nang, $695 in Zhongshan – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Da Nang compared to Zhongshan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Da Nang and $1,043 in Zhongshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Da Nang and Zhongshan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhongshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Da Nang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Da Nang and $24.00 in Zhongshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,000 go in Da Nang compared to Zhongshan?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Da Nang and $695 in Zhongshan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Da Nang and Zhongshan?
It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $695 in Zhongshan to $866 in Da Nang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Da Nang or Zhongshan safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Da Nang and Zhongshan?
If budget matters most, go with Zhongshan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Da Nang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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