Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoji: $756 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baoji
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Baoji Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Baoji

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Baoji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $756 in Baoji.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Baoji $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,139 in Baoji.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Baoji $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,521 in Baoji.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Baoji $1,521

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 14% more expensive than in Baoji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Baoji 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.74 ¥18.33

-30.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$11.92 ¥79.7

91.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.46 ¥29.83

1.79%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.17 ¥14.54

-14.75%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.29 ¥1.92

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.27 ¥1.80

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.45 ¥9.72

-26.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.46 ¥9.80

17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.48 ¥9.88

12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.75 ¥11.71

-36.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.91 ¥6.08

9.89%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$0.86 ¥5.74

94.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$11.71 ¥78.3

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.96 ¥26.51

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$10.58 ¥70.7

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$1.67 ¥11.17

77.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.11 ¥7.44

11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.24 ¥8.28

25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.27 ¥8.52

2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.63 ¥4.23

95.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.70 ¥4.68

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.62 ¥4.17

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 ¥3.64

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.44 ¥23.00

-63.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$9.75 ¥65.2

29.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.76 ¥5.10

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.75 ¥11.73

-12.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.29 ¥1.95

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$16.56 ¥111

-30.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.29 ¥8.62

-41.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.29 ¥1.92

131.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.52 ¥30.19

-32.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.37 ¥9.16

-29.93%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.3K ¥129.4K

60.57%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$17.5K ¥117.1K

73.42%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$90.2 ¥603

13.06%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$6.31 ¥42.18

-6.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$10.84 ¥72.5

-3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$46.46 ¥311

-45.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$13.18 ¥88.1

-9.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$5.81 ¥38.82

-39.24%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$701 ¥4,686

-37.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$17.5K ¥117.2K

32.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$39.43 ¥264

33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$37.67 ¥252

-9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$74.2 ¥496

21.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$91.5 ¥612

3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$278 ¥1,858

112.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$196 ¥1,311

51.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$629 ¥4,209

105.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$350 ¥2,337

103.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,178 ¥21.3K

47.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,815 ¥12.1K

4.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.35

157.91%

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 Baoji: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Baoji

$196 25.9% 34.2% $102

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Baoji

$192 25.3% 7.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Baoji

$109 14.4% 10.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Baoji

$107 14.2% 9.3% $11

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Baoji

$74 9.8% 16.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Baoji

$58 7.7% 78.1% $25

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Baoji

$20 2.7% 22.8% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $278 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $12.00 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $192 per month, with Baoji cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Baoji

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

11:38 11:38 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,438,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Baoji 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Baoji

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 Baoji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,135 in Baoji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $278 in Baoji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 44% 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 $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $701 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $756 in Baoji versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Baoji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baoji 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, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Baoji 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 Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.