Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $592 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
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Gongzhuling Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $592 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Gongzhuling $592

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $945 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Gongzhuling $945

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,297 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Gongzhuling $1,297

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 46% more than Gongzhuling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Gongzhuling are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Gongzhuling 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.11 ¥14.13

-6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$16.27 ¥109

42.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.57 ¥30.56

4.16%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$1.99 ¥13.32

-6.53%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.47 ¥3.12

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.21 ¥1.40

52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.73 ¥4.88

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.67 ¥11.15

2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.38 ¥9.22

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$2.18 ¥14.57

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.06 ¥7.10

-0.94%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.02 ¥6.84

60.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$7.30 ¥48.79

68.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.68 ¥24.63

-2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.21 ¥61.6

14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$0.58 ¥3.89

412.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$0.64 ¥4.28

96.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$0.54 ¥3.62

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$0.46 ¥3.10

184.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.46 ¥3.09

158.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.51 ¥3.40

123.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.47 ¥3.12

55.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.62 ¥4.12

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$3.60 ¥24.08

-64.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$10.33 ¥69.1

20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.65 ¥4.37

47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.13 ¥7.59

30.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.31 ¥2.09

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$17.60 ¥118

-35.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.14 ¥7.60

-40.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.36 ¥2.38

72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.71 ¥18.09

10.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.30 ¥8.70

-30.00%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

55.03%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$16.2K ¥108.2K

81.36%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$28.24 ¥189

267.46%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$6.14 ¥41.02

-5.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$10.25 ¥68.5

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$41.33 ¥276

-36.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$14.83 ¥99.2

-19.76%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.26 ¥35.17

-26.05%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$397 ¥2,655

10.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$11.6K ¥77.8K

106.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$16.46 ¥110

209.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$22.60 ¥151

55.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$59.1 ¥395

55.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$44.33 ¥296

117.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$301 ¥2,012

93.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$185 ¥1,237

60.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$636 ¥4,251

104.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$371 ¥2,481

95.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$3,483 ¥23.3K

37.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,937 ¥12.9K

-4.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$336 ¥2,246

45.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.5

146.86%

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 Gongzhuling: 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%

Gongzhuling

$185 31.2% 37.6% $112

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Gongzhuling

$161 27.2% 22.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 48.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Gongzhuling

$45 7.5% 62.8% $75

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 0.2% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Gongzhuling

$52 8.8% 53.1% $18

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7% 33.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $301 in Gongzhuling. 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 46% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $16.00 in Gongzhuling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $161 – making Gongzhuling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

862,313

💱 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

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Gongzhuling 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Gongzhuling

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 Gongzhuling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 46%, 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 $889 in Gongzhuling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gongzhuling, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $397 in Gongzhuling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $592, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Gongzhuling 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 Gongzhuling – 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 Gongzhuling. 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.