Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaozuo: $674 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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 Jiaozuo
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Jiaozuo Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Jiaozuo

🇨🇳 China

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $674 in Jiaozuo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Jiaozuo $674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,059 in Jiaozuo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Jiaozuo $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,445 in Jiaozuo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Jiaozuo $1,445

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 28% more expensive than in Jiaozuo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Jiaozuo 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$1.82 ¥12.16

8.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$16.41 ¥110

41.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.59 ¥30.70

3.70%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.48 ¥16.57

-25.00%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.42 ¥2.78

21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.26 ¥1.72

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.85 ¥5.71

21.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.68 ¥11.22

1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.68 ¥11.26

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.58 ¥10.60

-31.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.69 ¥4.60

52.17%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$0.96 ¥6.40

70.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$8.43 ¥56.4

46.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$2.41 ¥16.11

48.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$8.26 ¥55.2

27.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.18 ¥7.87

151.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$0.98 ¥6.59

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$0.63 ¥4.20

157.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$0.57 ¥3.83

129.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.53 ¥3.55

124.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.47 ¥3.14

142.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.40 ¥2.66

82.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.73 ¥4.86

-23.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$2.54 ¥17.00

-49.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$9.79 ¥65.5

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.68 ¥4.58

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$2.02 ¥13.50

-26.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$17.86 ¥119

-36.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.53 ¥10.25

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.31 ¥2.10

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$3.66 ¥24.48

-18.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.98 ¥6.53

-7.14%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.2K ¥128.3K

59.27%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$17.6K ¥117.4K

67.26%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$60.1 ¥402

72.72%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$7.17 ¥47.97

-19.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$9.16 ¥61.3

14.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$57.7 ¥386

-54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$15.04 ¥101

-20.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$3.94 ¥26.37

-1.27%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$177 ¥1,182

148.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$21.6K ¥144.2K

11.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$43.93 ¥294

15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$34.16 ¥228

2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$73.3 ¥490

25.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$65.3 ¥437

47.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$296 ¥1,982

96.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$185 ¥1,238

60.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$622 ¥4,158

108.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$380 ¥2,541

91.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,585 ¥17.3K

85.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,965 ¥13.1K

-5.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$566 ¥3,786

-13.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.29

162.61%

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 Jiaozuo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Jiaozuo

$185 27.5% 37.6% $111

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Jiaozuo

$158 23.5% 23.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Jiaozuo

$97 14.5% 21.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Jiaozuo

$76 11.3% 36.3% $44

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Jiaozuo

$68 10.2% 6.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Jiaozuo

$66 9.7% 93.7% $32

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Jiaozuo

$22 3.3% 36.6% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $296 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 16% 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 $16.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $158 per month, with Jiaozuo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Jiaozuo

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

3,539,860

💱 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) Jiaozuo 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Jiaozuo

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 Jiaozuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jiaozuo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Jiaozuo. 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $296 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $674 in Jiaozuo – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jiaozuo runs roughly 56% 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 $674 in Jiaozuo versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jiaozuo but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Jiaozuo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jiaozuo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $674 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jiaozuo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Jiaozuo 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 Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.