Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,036 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou 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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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,036

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,036 per month in Hangzhou vs $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Hangzhou $1,036
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

A couple spends around $1,557 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Hangzhou $1,557
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

A family of three spends $2,078 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Hangzhou $2,078
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Hangzhou costs about 21% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 23% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 ¥25.65

$1.90 ₫49.1K

102.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.60 ¥171

$23.32 ₫603.5K

9.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ¥30.70

$4.67 ₫120.9K

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.80

$1.85 ₫47.9K

84.32%

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

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.56 ₫14.4K

5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.34 ₫8,857

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.81

$1.01 ₫26.2K

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.19

$1.69 ₫43.7K

34.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$1.58 ₫40.8K

17.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.68

$1.04 ₫27.0K

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.43

$0.99 ₫25.7K

12.12%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥13.80

$1.60 ₫41.5K

28.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ¥130

$12.23 ₫316.6K

59.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ¥24.32

$3.54 ₫91.7K

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 ¥67.7

$10.44 ₫270.2K

-2.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ¥15.34

$3.09 ₫79.9K

-25.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$1.26 ₫32.5K

7.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.11

$1.57 ₫40.6K

-3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$1.26 ₫32.5K

26.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.73

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.64

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.47

$0.72 ₫18.7K

-6.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.57

$0.54 ₫14.0K

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥26.71

$1.22 ₫31.5K

227.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 ¥90.8

$12.28 ₫317.8K

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥4.98

$0.98 ₫25.4K

-23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.03

$1.49 ₫38.5K

10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.28 ₫7,249

110.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.15 ¥121

$11.62 ₫300.8K

56.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.79

$0.73 ₫18.9K

161.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 ¥48.25

$3.17 ₫82.0K

127.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$0.95 ₫24.6K

37.89%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$30.7K ₫795.6M

-36.55%

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

$18.2K ¥121.5K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

-40.55%

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

$48.36 ¥323

$102 ₫2.6M

-52.73%

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

$9.79 ¥65.4

$5.65 ₫146.1K

73.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.72 ¥98.3

$10.52 ₫272.2K

39.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ¥349

$25.86 ₫669.2K

101.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 ¥132

$11.82 ₫305.9K

67.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 ¥48.81

$3.39 ₫87.8K

115.34%

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

$563 ¥3,765

$438 ₫11.3M

28.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.3K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

54.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 ¥397

$51.5 ₫1.3M

15.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 ¥282

$34.56 ₫894.3K

21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ¥567

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥732

$94.9 ₫2.5M

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,165

$577 ₫14.9M

8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,577

$292 ₫7.6M

31.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 ¥8,071

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-6.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,492

$717 ₫18.6M

-6.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,991 ¥53.4K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

69.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,678 ¥24.6K

$1,882 ₫48.7M

95.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.6K

$486 ₫12.6M

225.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

8.64

-59.49%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$386 37.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 24.2% $93

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$236 23.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 12.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 7.9% $11

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$99 9.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 36.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 62.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$67 6.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 51.1% $34

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 31% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $577 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 226% higher in Hangzhou, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $206 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

1 h behind Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Hangzhou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Hangzhou
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

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

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,555 per month in Hangzhou and $1,283 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Hangzhou, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou 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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Hangzhou at $1,036. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.