Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chuzhou: $685 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Chuzhou
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Chuzhou Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Chuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $685 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Chuzhou $685

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,120 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Chuzhou $1,120

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,555 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Chuzhou $1,555

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 25% more than Chuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Chuzhou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$2.28 ¥15.15

-16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$22.28 ¥148

2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$4.76 ¥31.65

-1.47%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$2.30 ¥15.31

-21.74%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.53 ¥3.54

3.77%

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

$0.44 ¥2.90

134.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.54 ¥10.23

11.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.54 ¥10.28

8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$2.07 ¥13.75

-47.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$0.84 ¥5.57

26.19%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.32 ¥8.80

21.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$10.57 ¥70.3

14.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$3.03 ¥20.15

20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$9.07 ¥60.4

14.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$2.09 ¥13.88

44.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.26 ¥8.36

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.71 ¥11.39

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.07 ¥7.15

18.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$0.90 ¥5.96

31.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$0.97 ¥6.47

22.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.89 ¥5.92

-12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.52 ¥3.46

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.83 ¥25.51

-67.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$13.28 ¥88.4

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$0.95 ¥6.31

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.55 ¥10.34

-5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.31 ¥2.08

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$19.20 ¥128

-40.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.75 ¥11.66

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.41 ¥2.75

53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$9.09 ¥60.5

-66.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.32 ¥8.77

-28.03%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$19.3K ¥128.5K

58.01%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$17.4K ¥115.5K

71.30%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$55.5 ¥369

84.15%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$7.88 ¥52.4

-28.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$7.28 ¥48.43

43.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$43.09 ¥287

-55.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$16.05 ¥107

-26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$6.07 ¥40.41

-36.90%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$441 ¥2,932

9.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$22.8K ¥151.9K

2.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$43.42 ¥289

20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$34.55 ¥230

-0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$64.8 ¥431

42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$87.6 ¥583

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$253 ¥1,683

155.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$165 ¥1,095

80.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$606 ¥4,032

113.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$376 ¥2,503

91.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$3,018 ¥20.1K

43.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,996 ¥13.3K

-0.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.42

152.63%

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 Chuzhou: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Chuzhou

$165 24% 44.6% $133

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Chuzhou

$198 28.9% 4.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Chuzhou

$104 15.1% 15.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Chuzhou

$71 10.3% 40.3% $48

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Chuzhou

$69 10% 8.6% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Chuzhou

$55 8.1% 105% $28

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Chuzhou

$24 3.5% 48% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $253 in Chuzhou. 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 Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $198 – making Chuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Chuzhou

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

3,987,054

💱 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Chuzhou 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Chuzhou

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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 25% more than Chuzhou, 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 $1,027 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $253 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $22 in Chuzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $685 in Chuzhou. That makes Chuzhou about 20% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $685, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $853. In Chuzhou 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 Chuzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.