Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $707 in Changshu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Changshu $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,120 in Changshu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Changshu $1,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,532 in Changshu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Changshu $1,532

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 21% more expensive than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Changshu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.2K

$2.71 ¥18.12

-29.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫604.8K

$21.35 ¥143

9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫121.2K

$4.98 ¥33.30

-6.22%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.09 ¥20.67

-40.13%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.43 ¥2.88

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,875

$0.27 ¥1.80

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$0.94 ¥6.27

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.8K

$2.06 ¥13.78

-17.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.9K

$1.87 ¥12.49

-15.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.1K

$1.56 ¥10.44

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.90 ¥6.03

10.00%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.6K

$1.54 ¥10.31

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫317.3K

$12.88 ¥86.1

-5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.9K

$3.17 ¥21.16

11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.8K

$10.11 ¥67.5

3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫80.1K

$1.82 ¥12.19

69.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.25 ¥8.33

0.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.54 ¥10.29

1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.14 ¥7.64

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.69 ¥4.60

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.89 ¥5.98

29.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.8K

$0.56 ¥3.76

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.50 ¥3.37

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$3.04 ¥20.35

-59.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫318.5K

$10.65 ¥71.2

15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.5K

$0.74 ¥4.97

32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.6K

$1.63 ¥10.91

-8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,264

$0.27 ¥1.78

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫301.5K

$16.85 ¥113

-31.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫19.0K

$1.37 ¥9.16

-46.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.35 ¥2.35

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.2K

$6.82 ¥45.56

-53.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.7K

$1.14 ¥7.61

-16.67%

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

$30.7K ₫797.2M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

58.83%

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

$30.6K ₫793.2M

$16.9K ¥113.2K

80.63%

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

$102 ₫2.7M

$44.92 ¥300

127.74%

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

$5.65 ₫146.4K

$9.95 ¥66.5

-43.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.8K

$11.63 ¥77.7

-9.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫670.6K

$42.26 ¥282

-38.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫306.6K

$13.67 ¥91.3

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫88.0K

$5.88 ¥39.29

-42.35%

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

$438 ₫11.4M

$340 ¥2,272

28.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫604.4M

$17.1K ¥114.4K

36.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$43.35 ¥290

18.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫896.2K

$30.09 ¥201

14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$70.8 ¥473

29.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$73.3 ¥490

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫15.0M

$277 ¥1,853

108.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$192 ¥1,281

52.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$596 ¥3,986

116.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$355 ¥2,370

102.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.2M

$3,056 ¥20.4K

54.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.8M

$2,007 ¥13.4K

-6.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.89

122.11%

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 Changshu: 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%

Changshu

$192 26.8% 34.4% $100

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Changshu

$198 27.7% 3.8% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 20.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Changshu

$67 9.3% 43.9% $52

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Changshu

$85 12% 34.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Changshu

$54 7.6% 65.5% $21

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Changshu

$21 3% 26% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $277 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $21.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $198 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

16:43 4:43 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,677,050

💱 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 = 0.134 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 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) Changshu 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Changshu

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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,283 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,061 in Changshu 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $277 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $707 in Changshu – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Changshu versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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 Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.