Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $654 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
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Guilin Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $654 in Guilin, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Guilin $654

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,056 in Guilin, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Guilin $1,056

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,458 in Guilin, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Guilin $1,458

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 32% more than Guilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Guilin are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Guilin 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.29 ¥15.32

-13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$14.80 ¥99.0

56.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$2.91 ¥19.45

63.57%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.12 ¥14.16

-12.26%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.43 ¥2.87

18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.29 ¥1.93

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.80 ¥5.36

28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$2.11 ¥14.14

-18.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.52 ¥10.17

3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.30 ¥8.71

-16.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.67 ¥4.49

56.72%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.84 ¥12.29

-10.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$13.14 ¥87.8

-6.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.39 ¥22.69

5.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$11.11 ¥74.3

-4.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.47 ¥9.81

102.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.21 ¥8.11

4.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.04 ¥6.95

55.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$0.93 ¥6.25

40.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.74 ¥4.93

60.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.93 ¥6.23

22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.58 ¥3.88

25.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.43 ¥2.89

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$3.65 ¥24.42

-64.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$11.50 ¥76.9

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.84 ¥5.60

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.63 ¥10.87

-9.20%

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

$17.76 ¥119

-35.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.37 ¥9.15

-50.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.31 ¥2.10

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$7.14 ¥47.77

-57.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.21 ¥8.09

-24.79%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.4K ¥129.5K

57.80%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$17.5K ¥117.3K

67.33%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$23.99 ¥160

332.56%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$5.02 ¥33.53

15.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$11.20 ¥74.9

-6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$41.76 ¥279

-37.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$15.13 ¥101

-21.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.11 ¥34.17

-23.87%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$413 ¥2,763

6.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$17.4K ¥116.7K

37.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$43.07 ¥288

18.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$33.32 ¥223

5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$73.5 ¥492

25.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$73.4 ¥491

31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$294 ¥1,964

98.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$183 ¥1,221

62.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$633 ¥4,236

104.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$379 ¥2,537

91.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$1,367 ¥9,139

249.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,907 ¥12.8K

-2.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$498 ¥3,327

-1.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.36

157.14%

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 Guilin: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Guilin

$183 27.9% 38.4% $114

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Guilin

$193 29.6% 6.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Guilin

$100 15.4% 18.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Guilin

$40 6.1% 66.5% $80

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Guilin

$64 9.7% 1.2% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Guilin

$52 7.9% 53.5% $18

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Guilin

$22 3.4% 35.1% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $294 in Guilin. 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 2% higher in Guilin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $15.00 in Guilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $193 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Guilin

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

4,931,137

💱 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) Guilin 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Guilin

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 Guilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 32%, 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 $981 in Guilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, 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 $15.00 in Guilin. 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 $654 in Guilin. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In Guilin 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 Guilin – 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 Guilin. 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.