Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baotou: $768 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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)
Learn more

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baotou
Learn more

Baotou Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Baotou

🇨🇳 China

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $768 in Baotou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Baotou $768

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,248 in Baotou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Baotou $1,248

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,728 in Baotou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Baotou $1,728

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 12% more than Baotou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Baotou are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Baotou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$5.26 ¥35.18

-62.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$22.87 ¥153

1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$9.50 ¥63.5

-49.89%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.78 ¥18.56

-33.09%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.47 ¥3.17

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.31 ¥2.07

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.13 ¥7.59

-8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.91 ¥12.77

-10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.87 ¥12.49

-15.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.59 ¥10.65

-31.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.65 ¥4.35

61.54%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$2.48 ¥16.55

-33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$13.77 ¥92.1

-10.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.87 ¥25.86

-7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$12.26 ¥82.0

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.90 ¥12.70

56.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.33 ¥8.87

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.50 ¥10.01

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.27 ¥8.52

3.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.75 ¥5.01

58.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.01 ¥6.76

12.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.58 ¥3.88

25.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.59 ¥3.93

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$4.28 ¥28.59

-70.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$10.83 ¥72.4

15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.86 ¥5.77

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.55 ¥10.34

-4.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$16.41 ¥110

-30.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.02 ¥6.85

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.35 ¥2.35

77.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$7.09 ¥47.38

-57.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.16 ¥7.77

-21.55%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$21.1K ¥141.2K

44.74%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$20.1K ¥134.6K

45.83%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$58.0 ¥388

78.79%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$8.15 ¥54.5

-28.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$9.65 ¥64.5

8.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$47.39 ¥317

-44.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$15.49 ¥104

-23.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.08 ¥34.00

-23.43%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$371 ¥2,483

18.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

22.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$42.80 ¥286

18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$36.08 ¥241

-2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$73.6 ¥492

25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$88.4 ¥591

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$263 ¥1,758

121.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$173 ¥1,154

71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$605 ¥4,042

114.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$380 ¥2,543

91.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$3,121 ¥20.9K

53.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$2,040 ¥13.6K

-9.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$666 ¥4,454

-26.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.36

157.14%

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

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

Last update for Baotou: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Baotou

$173 22.5% 41.8% $124

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Baotou

$217 28.3% 4.5% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Baotou

$108 14.1% 12.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Baotou

$76 9.9% 36.8% $44

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Baotou

$117 15.2% 81.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Baotou

$58 7.5% 70% $24

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Baotou

$20 2.7% 25.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $263 in Baotou. 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 36% higher in Baotou, 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 $23.00 in Baotou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $217 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Baotou

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

2,709,378

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Baotou 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Baotou

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 Baotou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $768 in Baotou – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,294 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,153 in Baotou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

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

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Baotou, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Baotou 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 $768 in Baotou to $862 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 Baotou. 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.