Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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
57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,178

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Beijing (Pekin) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Beijing (Pekin) $1,178

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,895 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Beijing (Pekin) $1,895

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,612 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Beijing (Pekin) $2,612

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 27% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$4.54 ¥30.34

-58.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$29.25 ¥196

-20.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.32 ¥35.54

-12.22%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$3.52 ¥23.53

-47.44%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.53 ¥3.56

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.28 ¥1.87

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.22 ¥8.17

-17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$1.67 ¥11.13

1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.67 ¥11.14

-5.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.77 ¥11.80

-41.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.29 ¥8.61

-23.26%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.04 ¥13.65

-21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$14.52 ¥97.0

-15.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.21 ¥21.43

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$11.23 ¥75.1

-7.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.09 ¥13.94

47.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.72 ¥11.50

-26.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.01 ¥13.42

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.55 ¥10.36

-18.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.67 ¥4.51

74.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$0.85 ¥5.69

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.74 ¥4.96

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.62 ¥4.13

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$4.42 ¥29.52

-72.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$13.84 ¥92.5

-11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.03 ¥6.87

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.81 ¥12.09

-17.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.64 ¥4.30

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$34.88 ¥233

-66.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.98 ¥13.23

-63.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.35 ¥2.34

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$7.65 ¥51.1

-58.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.27 ¥8.50

-25.20%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.6K ¥130.9K

56.90%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$18.1K ¥121.2K

68.70%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$59.0 ¥394

73.39%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$8.94 ¥59.8

-36.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$14.15 ¥94.6

-25.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$40.77 ¥272

-36.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$24.56 ¥164

-51.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$7.38 ¥49.29

-54.07%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$650 ¥4,346

-32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$24.5K ¥163.5K

-4.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$70.4 ¥471

-26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$40.51 ¥271

-14.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$87.6 ¥585

4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$124 ¥829

-23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$933 ¥6,236

-38.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$518 ¥3,463

-43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$2,387 ¥16.0K

-45.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$1,143 ¥7,642

-37.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$12.6K ¥84.0K

-62.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$6,393 ¥42.7K

-70.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,710 ¥11.4K

-71.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.21

169.16%

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

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$518 44% 77.4% $226

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.4% 10.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$145 12.3% 18.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 7% 30.7% $36

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$107 9.1% 68.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 70.1% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 147% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 252% higher in Beijing (Pekin), 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 $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $228 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

21,893,095 Capital

💱 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 = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Beijing (Pekin) 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Beijing (Pekin)

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 Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,768 in Beijing (Pekin). 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,178. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) 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, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.