Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan 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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Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Foshan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Foshan $777
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,242 in Foshan versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Foshan $1,242
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,708 in Foshan versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Foshan $1,708
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Foshan costs roughly 9% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Foshan 42% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.26

$1.91 ₫49.6K

97.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$22.84 ₫591.4K

-0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.20

$4.54 ₫117.6K

12.56%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.51

$1.85 ₫48.0K

65.95%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.32 ₫8,187

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$1.06 ₫27.5K

15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$1.72 ₫44.5K

9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.11

$1.66 ₫42.9K

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$1.11 ₫28.7K

0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-8.00%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.38

$1.67 ₫43.2K

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥112

$12.08 ₫312.9K

38.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.18

$3.68 ₫95.2K

6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$10.24 ₫265.2K

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$2.96 ₫76.6K

1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.24 ₫32.2K

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$1.56 ₫40.3K

21.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.92

$1.30 ₫33.6K

25.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-11.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.39

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.90

$1.24 ₫32.2K

79.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$12.60 ₫326.2K

-18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.26 ₫6,696

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$11.51 ₫298.0K

-7.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$0.75 ₫19.5K

102.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-29.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$3.03 ₫78.5K

190.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$0.96 ₫24.8K

27.08%

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

$21.3K ¥142.3K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-31.50%

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

$16.2K ¥108.3K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-46.65%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$102 ₫2.6M

-17.12%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$5.89 ₫152.6K

34.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$10.49 ₫271.7K

49.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$25.54 ₫661.3K

179.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$11.92 ₫308.6K

99.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.51

$3.53 ₫91.4K

50.42%

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

$457 ¥3,055

$436 ₫11.3M

4.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.8K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-19.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$34.15 ₫884.3K

-45.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-31.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥614

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,032

$589 ₫15.3M

-48.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,061

$298 ₫7.7M

-46.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,983

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,280

$711 ₫18.4M

-52.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-7.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-2.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,363

$490 ₫12.7M

63.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

8.64

-55.67%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 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

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 5.9% $13

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 87.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 9.5% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 26.6% $26

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 33.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 60.2% $49

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 5.8% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Foshan and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Foshan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

1 h behind Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

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

Foshan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

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

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Foshan, 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: $304 in Foshan 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 Foshan runs roughly 8% 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 $457 in Foshan 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 $777 in Foshan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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, Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.