Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoding: $697 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Baoding
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Baoding Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Baoding

🇨🇳 China

$697

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Baoding

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Baoding actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $697 in Baoding, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Baoding $697

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,112 in Baoding, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Baoding $1,112

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,526 in Baoding, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Baoding $1,526

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 23% more than Baoding, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Baoding are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Baoding 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.77 ¥11.84

7.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$17.67 ¥118

29.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.94 ¥33.04

-8.10%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.31 ¥8.74

41.22%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.50 ¥3.31

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.21 ¥1.40

52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.74 ¥4.95

43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.29 ¥8.66

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.53 ¥10.20

8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.71 ¥11.42

-35.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.78 ¥5.24

28.21%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$0.83 ¥5.54

101.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$14.50 ¥96.9

-16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$1.84 ¥12.29

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$7.63 ¥51.0

34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$0.77 ¥5.13

284.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.57 ¥3.83

117.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.00 ¥13.40

-22.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$0.63 ¥4.18

106.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.46 ¥3.10

167.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.63 ¥4.21

82.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.75 ¥5.04

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.43 ¥2.88

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$4.34 ¥29.03

-71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$13.89 ¥92.9

-9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.61 ¥4.09

57.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.07 ¥7.14

42.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.21 ¥1.40

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$18.06 ¥121

-36.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.36 ¥9.12

-44.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.32 ¥2.16

109.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$7.68 ¥51.3

-60.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.14 ¥7.61

-15.79%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.2K ¥128.6K

61.50%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$17.9K ¥119.7K

69.64%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$58.5 ¥391

74.38%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$4.61 ¥30.81

27.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$4.46 ¥29.81

135.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$42.42 ¥284

-39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$15.34 ¥103

-22.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$5.16 ¥34.48

-31.59%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$651 ¥4,351

-32.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$24.6K ¥164.2K

-5.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$71.8 ¥480

-26.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$40.53 ¥271

-15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$86.1 ¥576

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$125 ¥838

-24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$297 ¥1,987

98.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$179 ¥1,197

66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$637 ¥4,261

102.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$379 ¥2,537

87.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,459 ¥23.1K

35.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,938 ¥13.0K

-1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,284 ¥8,584

-61.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.12

176.92%

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

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

Last update for Baoding: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Baoding

$179 25.7% 39.9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Baoding

$177 25.3% 14.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Baoding

$146 20.9% 18.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Baoding

$68 9.7% 42.9% $51

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Baoding

$54 7.7% 15.3% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Baoding

$53 7.6% 61.8% $20

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Baoding

$22 3.1% 31.4% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $297 in Baoding. 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 162% higher in Baoding, 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 $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $18.00 in Baoding. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $177 – making Baoding the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Baoding

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

13:45 1:45 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

11,437,217

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

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).

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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Baoding 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Baoding

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $697 in Baoding – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,046 in Baoding. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Baoding. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $436 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $651 in Baoding. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Baoding, where all-in costs run around $697, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Baoding it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $697 in Baoding to $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Baoding. 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.