Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongguan: $813 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
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Dongguan 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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Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$813

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Dongguan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Dongguan $813
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,291 in Dongguan versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Dongguan $1,291
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,768 in Dongguan versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Dongguan $1,768
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Dongguan costs roughly 5% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dongguan 40% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.57 ¥17.18

$1.91 ₫49.6K

34.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.04 ¥147

$22.84 ₫591.4K

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ¥35.16

$4.54 ₫117.6K

15.86%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ¥17.14

$1.85 ₫48.0K

38.38%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-16.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.32 ₫8,187

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.80

$1.72 ₫44.5K

28.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.69

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$1.11 ₫28.7K

40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.90

$1.00 ₫25.9K

3.00%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.12

$1.67 ₫43.2K

-0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.79 ¥139

$12.08 ₫312.9K

72.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ¥22.99

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 ¥95.2

$10.24 ₫265.2K

38.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-23.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.51

$1.24 ₫32.2K

26.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.95

$1.56 ₫40.3K

24.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.30 ₫33.6K

9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.15 ₫29.8K

7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 ¥30.04

$1.24 ₫32.2K

262.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥79.5

$12.60 ₫326.2K

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.76

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.68

$1.53 ₫39.6K

14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.26 ₫6,696

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.79 ¥152

$11.51 ₫298.0K

98.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$0.75 ₫19.5K

57.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-41.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ¥29.14

$3.03 ₫78.5K

43.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.53

$0.96 ₫24.8K

33.33%

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

$19.5K ¥130.7K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-37.08%

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

$18.6K ¥124.6K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-38.64%

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

$63.8 ¥426

$102 ₫2.6M

-37.48%

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

$9.24 ¥61.8

$5.89 ₫152.6K

56.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.08 ¥87.5

$10.49 ₫271.7K

24.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ¥341

$25.54 ₫661.3K

99.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$11.92 ₫308.6K

34.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ¥51.3

$3.53 ₫91.4K

117.28%

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

$533 ¥3,566

$436 ₫11.3M

22.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.6K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

3.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 ¥313

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.41 ¥270

$34.15 ₫884.3K

18.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 ¥490

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.10 ¥262

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-58.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,490

$589 ₫15.3M

-36.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,459

$298 ₫7.7M

-26.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 ¥4,427

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-48.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ¥2,883

$711 ₫18.4M

-39.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ¥38.2K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

22.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 ¥20.5K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

61.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$858 ¥5,736

$490 ₫12.7M

75.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

8.64

-61.23%

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

Last update for Dongguan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dongguan

$246 30.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 15.9% $39

Accommodation & Living

Dongguan

$218 26.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 36.5% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Dongguan

$90 11%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 36.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dongguan

$86 10.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 37.5% $32

Eating Out

Dongguan

$79 9.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 19.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dongguan

$66 8.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 50.9% $34

Getting Around

Dongguan

$27 3.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 39.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Dongguan and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Dongguan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

1 h behind Dongguan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,254,100

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 = 3.45 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 25,894 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,990 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dongguan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dongguan
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

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

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 75% higher in Dongguan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $372 in Dongguan versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 98% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $533 in Dongguan versus $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $813 in Dongguan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan 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, Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.