Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chifeng: $714 a month against $862 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 Chifeng
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Chifeng Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Chifeng

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $714 in Chifeng, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Chifeng $714

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,132 in Chifeng, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Chifeng $1,132

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,550 in Chifeng, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Chifeng $1,550

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 21% more than Chifeng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Chifeng are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Chifeng 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.85 ¥19.05

-30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$21.61 ¥144

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.78 ¥31.94

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$3.06 ¥20.49

-39.22%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.43 ¥2.90

18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.27 ¥1.79

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.89 ¥5.97

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$2.04 ¥13.66

-16.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.85 ¥12.36

-14.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.59 ¥10.66

-31.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.90 ¥6.05

16.67%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.59 ¥10.61

3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$13.04 ¥87.2

-5.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.14 ¥20.98

14.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$10.06 ¥67.3

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.85 ¥12.38

60.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.22 ¥8.14

3.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.49 ¥9.99

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.10 ¥7.38

19.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.73 ¥4.88

63.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.90 ¥6.03

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.55 ¥3.70

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.50 ¥3.37

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$3.18 ¥21.26

-59.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$10.53 ¥70.4

18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.80 ¥5.35

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.66 ¥11.09

-10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.29 ¥1.94

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$16.88 ¥113

-32.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.35 ¥9.02

-49.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.33 ¥2.20

87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$6.57 ¥43.91

-54.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.13 ¥7.58

-19.47%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.4K ¥130.0K

57.28%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$17.0K ¥113.5K

72.96%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$44.92 ¥300

131.01%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$9.63 ¥64.4

-39.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$11.56 ¥77.3

-9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$41.01 ¥274

-36.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$13.95 ¥93.3

-14.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.99 ¥40.07

-35.06%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$330 ¥2,209

33.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$16.7K ¥111.8K

43.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$43.27 ¥289

17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$29.90 ¥200

17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$71.0 ¥475

29.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$72.6 ¥485

32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$273 ¥1,825

113.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$193 ¥1,293

53.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$595 ¥3,981

117.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$361 ¥2,417

101.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,973 ¥19.9K

60.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$2,064 ¥13.8K

-10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 17, 2026

Last update for Chifeng: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Chifeng

$193 27.1% 34.8% $103

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Chifeng

$198 27.7% 4.6% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Chifeng

$98 13.7% 21.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Chifeng

$66 9.3% 44.9% $54

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Chifeng

$85 11.9% 32.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Chifeng

$53 7.4% 56.5% $19

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Chifeng

$21 2.9% 29.4% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $273 in Chifeng. 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 $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $22.00 in Chifeng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $198 – making Chifeng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Chifeng

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,175,391

💱 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 = 0.133 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Chifeng 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chifeng

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 Chifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,294 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,072 in Chifeng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chifeng, 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 Chifeng. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $714 in Chifeng. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chifeng, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Chifeng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chifeng – 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 Chifeng. 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.