Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $777 in Foshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Foshan $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,242 in Foshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Foshan $1,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,708 in Foshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Foshan $1,708

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 10% more expensive than in Foshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Foshan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.78 ¥25.26

-49.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$22.79 ¥152

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.11 ¥34.20

-11.15%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.07 ¥20.51

-39.74%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.52 ¥3.49

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.31 ¥2.09

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.22 ¥8.17

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.89 ¥12.61

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.66 ¥11.11

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.12 ¥7.48

-0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.92 ¥6.16

8.70%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.70 ¥11.38

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$16.68 ¥112

-27.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.92 ¥26.18

-6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$10.69 ¥71.5

-4.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$3.01 ¥20.16

-1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.27 ¥8.51

-2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.90 ¥12.69

-17.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.63 ¥10.92

-20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.09 ¥7.27

12.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.95 ¥6.39

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.64 ¥4.26

15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.50 ¥3.37

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$2.23 ¥14.90

-44.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$10.23 ¥68.4

23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.93 ¥6.24

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.51 ¥10.13

1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$10.62 ¥71.0

8.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.52 ¥10.18

-50.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.47 ¥3.15

42.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$8.81 ¥58.9

-65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.22 ¥8.19

-21.31%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$21.3K ¥142.3K

45.98%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$16.2K ¥108.3K

87.45%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$84.5 ¥565

20.66%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$7.92 ¥53.0

-25.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$15.69 ¥105

-33.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$71.4 ¥477

-64.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$23.83 ¥159

-49.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$5.31 ¥35.51

-33.52%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$457 ¥3,055

-4.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$23.3K ¥155.8K

-0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$42.21 ¥282

24.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$18.76 ¥125

82.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$62.1 ¥415

45.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$91.8 ¥614

3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$304 ¥2,032

94.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$159 ¥1,061

87.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$596 ¥3,983

116.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$341 ¥2,280

108.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$4,329 ¥28.9K

8.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,864 ¥12.5K

2.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$802 ¥5,363

-38.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.83

125.59%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Foshan

$159 20.4% 46.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Foshan

$220 28.4% 6.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Foshan

$97 12.4% 21% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Foshan

$108 13.9% 8.7% $10

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Foshan

$96 12.3% 50.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Foshan

$82 10.6% 152% $49

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Foshan

$16 2% 5.5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $304 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $220 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Foshan

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

9,498,863

💱 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 25,894 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,990 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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) Foshan 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Foshan

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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Foshan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $304 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $457 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $777 in Foshan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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 Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.