Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Beihai
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Beihai Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $744 in Beihai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Beihai $744

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,167 in Beihai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Beihai $1,167

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,590 in Beihai, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Beihai $1,590

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 15% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Beihai 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.40 ¥22.75

-43.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$19.56 ¥131

16.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.58 ¥37.31

-18.64%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.43 ¥16.28

-23.87%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.46 ¥3.09

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.30 ¥1.99

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.22 ¥8.14

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.29 ¥15.34

-24.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.90 ¥12.69

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.70 ¥11.36

-34.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.10 ¥7.33

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.87 ¥12.53

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$13.95 ¥93.3

-13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.92 ¥19.54

26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$10.58 ¥70.8

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$2.10 ¥14.03

40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.48 ¥9.91

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.52 ¥10.19

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.27 ¥8.48

2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.74 ¥4.92

66.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.97 ¥6.46

18.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.67 ¥4.47

10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.50 ¥3.33

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.39 ¥22.70

-63.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$12.05 ¥80.6

4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.74 ¥4.95

29.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.66 ¥11.10

-7.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.30 ¥2.02

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$17.17 ¥115

-32.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.56 ¥10.42

-51.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.31 ¥2.08

116.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$6.21 ¥41.53

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.39 ¥9.31

-30.94%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$18.2K ¥121.6K

70.84%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$18.2K ¥121.9K

66.48%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$61.5 ¥411

65.74%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$9.42 ¥63.0

-37.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$12.09 ¥80.9

-13.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$40.99 ¥274

-37.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$14.01 ¥93.7

-14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$5.71 ¥38.20

-38.18%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$458 ¥3,065

-4.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$18.3K ¥122.6K

27.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$48.58 ¥325

8.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$38.03 ¥254

-10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$79.9 ¥534

12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$79.0 ¥528

20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$279 ¥1,863

111.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$178 ¥1,190

67.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$718 ¥4,804

79.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$332 ¥2,221

113.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,665 ¥24.5K

27.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$2,221 ¥14.9K

-14.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 10, 2026

Last update for Beihai: 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%

Beihai

$178 23.9% 40.2% $120

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Beihai

$212 28.5% 2.2% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Beihai

$110 14.9% 9.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Beihai

$83 11.2% 29.8% $35

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Beihai

$87 11.7% 36.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Beihai

$52 7% 60.8% $20

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Beihai

$22 2.9% 29.1% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $279 in Beihai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $20.00 in Beihai. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $212 in Beihai – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Beihai

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,617,500

💱 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) Beihai 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Beihai

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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 15% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,116 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% 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 $20.00 in Beihai. 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 Beihai, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $744 versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Beihai. 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.