Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $734 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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 Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $734 in Chengdu, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Chengdu $734

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,211 in Chengdu, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Chengdu $1,211

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,688 in Chengdu, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Chengdu $1,688

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 16% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$2.86 ¥19.11

-33.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$22.31 ¥149

4.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$4.89 ¥32.71

-4.50%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.99 ¥19.96

-38.13%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.51 ¥3.40

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.28 ¥1.89

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.46 ¥9.74

-30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.18 ¥14.55

-22.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.84 ¥12.28

-14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.55 ¥10.36

-32.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.98 ¥6.58

1.02%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.57 ¥10.47

1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$14.17 ¥94.7

-13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.71 ¥24.76

-4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$11.12 ¥74.3

-6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$1.87 ¥12.52

65.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.31 ¥8.73

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.10 ¥7.34

42.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.14 ¥7.59

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.75 ¥5.03

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$0.68 ¥4.56

69.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.63 ¥4.19

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.55 ¥3.66

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$3.83 ¥25.59

-68.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$4.60 ¥30.71

166.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$0.82 ¥5.45

19.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.46 ¥9.77

2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.44 ¥2.93

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$24.70 ¥165

-52.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.36 ¥9.09

-46.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.31 ¥2.09

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$4.38 ¥29.26

-27.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.30 ¥8.69

-26.92%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

57.33%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$17.1K ¥114.1K

79.19%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$47.43 ¥317

115.69%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$9.39 ¥62.8

-39.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$12.51 ¥83.6

-15.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$27.41 ¥183

-5.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$11.30 ¥75.5

4.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$6.14 ¥41.05

-44.79%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$376 ¥2,516

16.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$14.9K ¥99.8K

56.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$25.02 ¥167

105.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$28.00 ¥187

23.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$57.3 ¥383

59.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$52.7 ¥352

80.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$471 ¥3,145

22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$257 ¥1,716

13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$819 ¥5,472

57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$536 ¥3,580

33.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$3,708 ¥24.8K

27.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,928 ¥12.9K

-2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,277 ¥8,531

-61.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.38

155.62%

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 Chengdu: 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%

Chengdu

$257 34.2% 12.1% $35

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Chengdu

$195 25.9% 5.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Chengdu

$73 9.8% 40.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Chengdu

$69 9.2% 41.5% $49

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Chengdu

$88 11.7% 39% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Chengdu

$40 5.3% 21.6% $7.1

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Chengdu

$29 3.9% 75.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $471 in Chengdu. 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 163% higher in Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $195 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

18:58 6:58 PM

19:58 7:58 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

20,937,757

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 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 = 7.49 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) Chengdu 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chengdu

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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $734 in Chengdu – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,101 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu. 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 $734 in Chengdu. That's a gap of about 16%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $855. In Chengdu 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 $734 in Chengdu to $855 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 Chengdu. 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.