Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $924 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Guangzhou (Canton) despite lower rent and utilities.

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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
45

Cost of Living Index in Guangzhou (Canton)
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Guangzhou (Canton) Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Guangzhou (Canton)

🇨🇳 China

$924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Guangzhou (Canton) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $924 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Guangzhou (Canton) $924

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,438 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Guangzhou (Canton) $1,438

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,953 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Guangzhou (Canton) $1,953

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 7% cheaper than Guangzhou (Canton), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Guangzhou (Canton) are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Guangzhou (Canton) 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$3.02 ¥20.21

-37.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$29.67 ¥198

-21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.32 ¥35.53

-12.22%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.97 ¥19.83

-37.71%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.58 ¥3.89

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.37 ¥2.49

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.17 ¥7.79

-13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.75 ¥18.41

-38.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.91 ¥12.75

-17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.83 ¥12.23

-43.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.09 ¥7.30

-9.17%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.52 ¥10.14

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$16.76 ¥112

-27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$4.95 ¥33.07

-28.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$12.20 ¥81.5

-14.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.25 ¥15.04

37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.23 ¥8.19

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.47 ¥9.82

6.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.78 ¥11.89

-29.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.03 ¥6.86

13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.17 ¥7.84

-1.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.83 ¥5.56

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.65 ¥4.33

-16.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$3.88 ¥25.93

-68.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$10.85 ¥72.5

13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.05 ¥7.05

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.89 ¥12.61

-21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.47 ¥3.11

-40.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$22.21 ¥148

-47.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.83 ¥12.23

-60.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.40 ¥2.69

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$7.02 ¥46.90

-54.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.31 ¥8.75

-27.48%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.2K ¥128.2K

60.19%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$17.6K ¥117.5K

73.90%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$60.0 ¥401

70.39%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$16.00 ¥107

-64.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$14.46 ¥96.6

-27.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$68.9 ¥460

-62.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$12.04 ¥80.4

-1.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$6.57 ¥43.94

-48.40%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$1,471 ¥9,831

-70.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$24.2K ¥161.5K

-3.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$48.75 ¥326

5.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$41.61 ¥278

-16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$81.5 ¥545

12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$70.4 ¥471

34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$542 ¥3,623

6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$276 ¥1,842

6.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$1,343 ¥8,974

-3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$472 ¥3,157

51.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$8,553 ¥57.2K

-44.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$3,459 ¥23.1K

-45.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,265 ¥8,452

-61.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.4

154.12%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$276 30.1% 5.7% $17

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$240 26.2% 16.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$109 11.9% 11% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$90 9.9% 23.6% $28

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$91 9.9% 43.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$82 9% 151% $49

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$28 3.1% 67.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $542 in Guangzhou (Canton). 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 160% higher in Guangzhou (Canton), 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 $30.00 in Guangzhou (Canton). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $240 – making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

14,043,500

💱 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 = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Guangzhou (Canton) 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Guangzhou (Canton)

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 Guangzhou (Canton): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $924 in Guangzhou (Canton) – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,283 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,385 in Guangzhou (Canton). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $924 in Guangzhou (Canton). That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $855, than in Guangzhou (Canton) at $924. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guangzhou (Canton) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to $924 in Guangzhou (Canton). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guangzhou (Canton) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.