Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $1,156 in Harbin, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Harbin
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Harbin Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Harbin

🇨🇳 China

$1,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,156 in Harbin, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Harbin $1,156

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,617 in Harbin, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Harbin $1,617

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $2,077 in Harbin, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Harbin $2,077

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 26% cheaper than Harbin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Harbin are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Harbin 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.21 ¥14.77

-13.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$22.30 ¥149

2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.31 ¥35.47

-14.50%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.81 ¥18.81

-34.16%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ¥3.12

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.26 ¥1.72

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.86 ¥5.73

23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.60 ¥10.73

7.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$2.09 ¥14.00

-20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.97 ¥13.18

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.97 ¥6.50

3.09%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.40 ¥9.34

19.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$8.87 ¥59.3

36.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.61 ¥17.44

41.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$12.13 ¥81.1

-15.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.57 ¥10.49

88.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.30 ¥8.70

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.28 ¥8.55

21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$0.99 ¥6.60

31.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.54 ¥3.59

127.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.53 ¥10.22

-24.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.46 ¥3.09

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.78 ¥5.20

-28.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.55 ¥17.07

-51.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$17.80 ¥119

-29.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.58 ¥3.85

65.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.58 ¥10.58

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.31 ¥2.10

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.90 ¥72.9

5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.38 ¥9.21

-45.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.29 ¥1.94

131.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.54 ¥23.65

-14.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.28 ¥8.58

-25.00%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

58.53%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$15.5K ¥103.9K

95.42%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$77.8 ¥520

31.11%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.58 ¥97.5

-59.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$12.19 ¥81.5

-13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$85.0 ¥569

-69.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$29.80 ¥199

-60.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.85 ¥39.11

-39.66%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$297 ¥1,986

46.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.4K ¥69.4K

124.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$30.36 ¥203

73.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$29.31 ¥196

16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.2 ¥476

26.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$304 ¥2,035

-68.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$317 ¥2,123

85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$456 ¥3,052

-34.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$1,349 ¥9,018

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$533 ¥3,561

33.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,192 ¥21.3K

46.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,326 ¥8,865

43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$584 ¥3,903

-16.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.92

120.41%

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 Harbin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Harbin

$456 39.5% 53.2% $159

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Harbin

$209 18.1% 1% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Harbin

$196 17% 59.9% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Harbin

$105 9.1% 11.7% $14

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Harbin

$78 6.7% 22.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Harbin

$97 8.4% 197% $64

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Harbin

$15 1.3% 10% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $317 in Harbin. 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 19% higher in Harbin, 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 $22.00 in Harbin. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $209 in Harbin – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Harbin

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

12:12 12:12 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

10,009,854

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Harbin 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Harbin

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 Harbin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harbin costs about 35% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), 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 $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,733 in Harbin. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $22.00 in Harbin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,156 in Harbin. That's a gap of about 35%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $859, than in Harbin at $1,156. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Harbin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs $859 versus $1,156 in Harbin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Harbin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.