Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $764 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
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Hefei Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $764 in Hefei.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Hefei $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,215 in Hefei.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Hefei $1,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,666 in Hefei.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Hefei $1,666

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 12% more expensive than in Hefei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Hefei 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.60 ¥17.37

-26.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$22.83 ¥153

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.53 ¥30.27

0.22%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.67 ¥17.83

-30.71%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.49 ¥3.27

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.27 ¥1.78

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.03 ¥6.88

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.98 ¥13.27

-13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.58 ¥10.59

5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.97 ¥13.14

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.79 ¥5.30

26.58%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.83 ¥12.22

-8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.84 ¥92.5

-12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.76 ¥31.85

-22.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$11.55 ¥77.2

-11.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.31 ¥15.44

28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.68 ¥11.23

-26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.64 ¥10.95

-4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.54 ¥10.27

-15.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.88 ¥5.90

39.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.99 ¥6.60

16.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.84 ¥5.59

-11.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.66 ¥4.44

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.06 ¥20.47

-59.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$12.08 ¥80.8

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.88 ¥5.88

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.90 ¥12.73

-19.47%

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

$44.14 ¥295

-73.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.17 ¥7.79

-35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.33 ¥2.18

103.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.54 ¥23.65

-14.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.30 ¥8.69

-26.15%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

63.31%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$16.9K ¥112.8K

79.95%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$49.24 ¥329

107.11%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.03 ¥60.4

-34.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$11.71 ¥78.3

-10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$15.74 ¥105

62.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$15.63 ¥105

-23.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$6.43 ¥43.00

-45.10%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$246 ¥1,645

77.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,528 ¥57.0K

173.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$90.9 ¥608

-41.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$32.82 ¥219

4.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$63.2 ¥422

42.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$98.4 ¥658

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$249 ¥1,662

137.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$180 ¥1,202

65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$550 ¥3,679

134.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$332 ¥2,221

113.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,585 ¥24.0K

30.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,910 ¥12.8K

-0.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,007 ¥6,734

-51.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.15

174.29%

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 Hefei: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Hefei

$180 23.5% 39.6% $118

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Hefei

$230 30.1% 11% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Hefei

$128 16.8% 4.9% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Hefei

$70 9.2% 40.9% $48

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Hefei

$78 10.3% 23.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Hefei

$29 3.8% 12.3% $4

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Hefei

$48 6.3% 189% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $249 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 106% 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 Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $230 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Hefei

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

9,369,881

💱 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) Hefei 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Hefei

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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 106% lower in Hefei. 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 $249 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $764 in Hefei – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $764 in Hefei versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Hefei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hefei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hefei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.