Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Chang-hua

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Chang-hua: $859 and $864 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $864 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Chang-hua $864

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,343 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Chang-hua $1,343

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,822 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Chang-hua $1,822

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 1% cheaper than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.83 NT$124

-50.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$32.76 NT$1,062

-30.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.53 NT$179

-17.90%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.63 NT$52.7

13.50%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.96 NT$30.99

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.56 NT$18.01

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.36 NT$44.21

-22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.17 NT$70.3

-20.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$2.38 NT$77.1

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.07 NT$67.2

-46.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$2.94 NT$95.5

-65.99%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.76 NT$89.5

-39.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$16.19 NT$525

-25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$9.51 NT$308

-61.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$21.23 NT$688

-51.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$4.82 NT$156

-38.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.38 NT$110

-63.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.93 NT$95.1

-46.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$3.17 NT$103

-58.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.77 NT$89.8

-55.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.11 NT$68.4

-45.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.69 NT$54.9

-56.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.77 NT$24.97

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.96 NT$128

-68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$9.43 NT$306

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.38 NT$44.70

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.29 NT$74.4

-33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$1.55 NT$50.4

-83.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$34.80 NT$1,129

-66.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$2.65 NT$85.9

-71.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.76 NT$24.71

-11.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.29 NT$301

-67.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.06 NT$34.39

-9.43%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-6.25%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$24.3K NT$787.5K

25.01%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$31.62 NT$1,025

222.52%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$16.99 NT$551

-65.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$18.71 NT$607

-43.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$31.75 NT$1,029

-19.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$9.38 NT$304

-62.37%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$636 NT$20.6K

-31.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,946 NT$257.7K

193.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$49.35 NT$1,600

6.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$15.47 NT$502

120.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$78.1 NT$2,534

15.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$49.57 NT$1,607

91.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$252 NT$8,160

134.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$170 NT$5,528

74.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$509 NT$16.5K

154.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$169 NT$5,480

320.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,959 NT$96.0K

58.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,631 NT$52.9K

16.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$2,011 NT$65.2K

-75.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

2.2

292.73%

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 Chang-hua: 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%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 42.8% $127

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 72.7% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 29.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 43.1% $51

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 32.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 54.9% $18

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 185% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $252 in Chang-hua. 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 311% higher in Chang-hua, 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 $33.00 in Chang-hua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $358 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

10:57 10:57 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

226,564

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Chang-hua 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chang-hua costs about 1% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,296 in Chang-hua. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $864 in Chang-hua. That's a gap of about 1%.

Public transport costs about 202% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $859, than in Chang-hua at $864. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chang-hua it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs $859 versus $864 in Chang-hua. 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chang-hua makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.