Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Huizhou: $774 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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 Huizhou
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Huizhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Huizhou

🇨🇳 China

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $774 in Huizhou.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Huizhou $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,197 in Huizhou.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Huizhou $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,620 in Huizhou.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Huizhou $1,620

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 11% more expensive than in Huizhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.29 ¥15.31

-16.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$17.54 ¥117

30.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.15 ¥34.46

-11.84%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.95 ¥19.74

-37.29%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.57 ¥3.84

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.29 ¥1.91

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.02 ¥6.82

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.68 ¥11.22

2.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.86 ¥12.43

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.57 ¥10.53

-29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.10 ¥7.34

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.58 ¥10.57

5.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$7.80 ¥52.2

54.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.28 ¥28.62

-14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$11.92 ¥79.7

-14.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$1.83 ¥12.25

61.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.24 ¥8.30

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.25 ¥8.38

24.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.41 ¥9.43

-7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.93 ¥6.22

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.19 ¥7.93

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.67 ¥4.47

10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ¥3.26

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.05 ¥20.37

-59.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$10.80 ¥72.2

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.06 ¥7.10

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.67 ¥11.14

-8.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$18.02 ¥120

-36.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.03 ¥6.86

-27.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.40 ¥2.70

67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.81 ¥25.46

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.18 ¥7.90

-18.64%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.6K ¥130.8K

58.86%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$15.5K ¥103.5K

96.11%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$50.6 ¥339

101.42%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$11.45 ¥76.6

-48.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$9.80 ¥65.5

7.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$40.90 ¥274

-37.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$15.01 ¥100

-20.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$6.70 ¥44.80

-47.31%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$418 ¥2,797

4.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$21.3K ¥142.3K

9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$49.19 ¥329

7.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$41.73 ¥279

-18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$83.5 ¥558

8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$70.5 ¥471

34.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$212 ¥1,420

177.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$237 ¥1,582

25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$392 ¥2,621

229.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$419 ¥2,803

69.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,269 ¥15.2K

106.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,182 ¥7,907

61.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$860 ¥5,750

-43.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.38

155.62%

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 Huizhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Huizhou

$237 30.5% 20.6% $61

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Huizhou

$198 25.6% 4.4% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Huizhou

$110 14.2% 10% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Huizhou

$72 9.3% 39.3% $46

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Huizhou

$81 10.5% 27.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Huizhou

$54 7% 66.6% $22

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Huizhou

$22 2.9% 33.9% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $212 in Huizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huizhou pays 76% 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 $18.00 in Huizhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $198 per month, with Huizhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Huizhou

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

4,597,002

💱 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 = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 25,894 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,997 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Huizhou 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Huizhou

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 Huizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Huizhou wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Huizhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Huizhou. 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 $212 in Huizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $774 in Huizhou – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Huizhou runs roughly 57% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $774 in Huizhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Huizhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Huizhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Huizhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $774 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Huizhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Huizhou 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 Huizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.