Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
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Chenzhou Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $721 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Chenzhou $721

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,197 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Chenzhou $1,197

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,674 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Chenzhou $1,674

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 18% more than Chenzhou.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Chenzhou are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Chenzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$3.03 ¥20.15

-36.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$22.13 ¥147

3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$4.86 ¥32.33

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.54 ¥10.24

16.88%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.51 ¥3.41

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.27 ¥1.80

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.29 ¥8.58

-20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.89 ¥12.59

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.97 ¥13.09

-15.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$2.38 ¥15.83

-54.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$0.79 ¥5.23

34.18%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.72 ¥11.46

-6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$13.15 ¥87.5

-8.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$4.13 ¥27.47

-11.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$11.57 ¥77.0

-10.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$0.59 ¥3.92

410.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.18 ¥7.82

6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$0.73 ¥4.87

121.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.19 ¥7.89

6.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$0.97 ¥6.49

21.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$1.54 ¥10.24

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.61 ¥4.04

27.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.49 ¥3.23

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.02 ¥20.08

-58.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$12.71 ¥84.6

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$1.04 ¥6.91

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.57 ¥10.45

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.31 ¥2.05

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$15.40 ¥103

-25.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.52 ¥10.09

-53.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.29 ¥1.93

117.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$4.60 ¥30.59

-32.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.29 ¥8.59

-26.36%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$19.3K ¥128.3K

58.22%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$17.4K ¥115.6K

71.06%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$56.3 ¥375

81.50%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$8.94 ¥59.5

-36.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$11.27 ¥75.0

-7.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$42.59 ¥283

-54.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$14.67 ¥97.6

-19.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$6.48 ¥43.13

-40.90%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$329 ¥2,188

47.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$16.9K ¥112.3K

38.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$84.2 ¥561

-37.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$35.01 ¥233

-1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$89.1 ¥593

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$58.9 ¥392

60.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$310 ¥2,061

108.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$163 ¥1,086

82.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$584 ¥3,885

121.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$414 ¥2,753

73.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$3,531 ¥23.5K

22.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,917 ¥12.8K

3.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.46

149.71%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Chenzhou

$163 22.6% 45.1% $134

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Chenzhou

$215 29.8% 3.4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Chenzhou

$120 16.7% 2.2% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Chenzhou

$77 10.6% 35.3% $42

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Chenzhou

$71 9.8% 11.9% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Chenzhou

$56 7.7% 106% $29

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Chenzhou

$20 2.7% 19.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $310 in Chenzhou. 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 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $22 in Chenzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $215 in Chenzhou – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

01:12 1:12 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

4,667,134

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Chenzhou 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chenzhou

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 18% more than Chenzhou, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,081 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Public transport costs about 26% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $329 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $721 in Chenzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chenzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.