Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $654 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
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Guilin 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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Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$654

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $654 per month in Guilin vs $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Guilin $654
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

A couple spends around $1,056 per month in Guilin vs $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Guilin $1,056
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

A family of three spends $1,458 per month in Guilin vs $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Guilin $1,458
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Guilin is about 24% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Guilin and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Guilin 52% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ¥15.32

$1.98 ₫51.3K

15.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.80 ¥99.0

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-36.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.91 ¥19.45

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-38.87%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ¥14.16

$1.86 ₫48.1K

13.98%

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

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.32 ₫8,191

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.36

$1.03 ₫26.7K

-22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥14.14

$1.71 ₫44.4K

23.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-3.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥8.71

$1.09 ₫28.3K

19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.49

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-36.19%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥12.29

$1.64 ₫42.6K

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 ¥87.8

$12.33 ₫319.2K

6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.69

$3.58 ₫92.6K

-5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$10.56 ₫273.3K

5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-50.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.11

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.23

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-18.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-20.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.42

$1.28 ₫33.0K

185.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 ¥76.9

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.48 ₫38.3K

10.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.26 ₫6,704

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.76 ¥119

$11.43 ₫296.0K

55.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.15

$0.68 ₫17.7K

101.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 ¥47.77

$3.00 ₫77.7K

138.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.09

$0.91 ₫23.5K

32.97%

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

$19.4K ¥129.5K

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-36.63%

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

$17.5K ¥117.3K

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-40.24%

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

$23.99 ¥160

$104 ₫2.7M

-76.88%

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

$5.02 ¥33.53

$5.79 ₫149.9K

-13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.20 ¥74.9

$10.48 ₫271.3K

6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.76 ¥279

$26.08 ₫675.1K

60.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 ¥101

$11.90 ₫308.1K

27.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 ¥34.17

$3.89 ₫100.7K

31.36%

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

$413 ¥2,763

$440 ₫11.4M

-6.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥116.7K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-27.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 ¥288

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 ¥223

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 ¥492

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ¥491

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,964

$582 ₫15.1M

-49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,221

$297 ₫7.7M

-38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 ¥4,236

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-51.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,537

$727 ₫18.8M

-47.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,367 ¥9,139

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-71.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 ¥12.8K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

2.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$498 ¥3,327

$490 ₫12.7M

1.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

8.64

-61.11%

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

Last update for Guilin: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guilin

$193 29.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 7.4% $14

Accommodation & Living

Guilin

$183 27.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 62.4% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Guilin

$100 15.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 23% $23

Eating Out

Guilin

$64 9.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 1.2% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Guilin

$52 7.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 34.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guilin

$40 6.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 199% $80

Getting Around

Guilin

$22 3.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 26% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Guilin versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 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 2% higher in Guilin, 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 $15.00 in Guilin versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $208 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guilin

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

18:35 6:35 PM

1 h behind Guilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,931,137

9,456,700

💱 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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Guilin Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Guilin
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

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

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $981 per month in Guilin and $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Guilin and $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $654 in Guilin and $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guilin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Guilin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.