Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Jingmen: $749 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jingmen
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Jingmen Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Jingmen

🇨🇳 China

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $749 in Jingmen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Jingmen $749

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,204 in Jingmen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Jingmen $1,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,659 in Jingmen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Jingmen $1,659

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 15% more expensive than in Jingmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Jingmen 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$3.07 ¥20.50

-35.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$22.34 ¥149

3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$3.99 ¥26.65

19.30%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.15 ¥14.39

-13.49%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.46 ¥3.10

10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.29 ¥1.92

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.89 ¥5.94

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.02 ¥6.81

67.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$2.09 ¥13.94

-24.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.87 ¥12.53

-41.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.98 ¥6.56

7.14%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.67 ¥11.15

-1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$13.43 ¥89.8

-8.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.55 ¥23.73

0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$13.70 ¥91.6

-22.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$2.27 ¥15.15

30.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.25 ¥8.34

0.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.46 ¥9.79

10.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.14 ¥7.65

14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.77 ¥5.16

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.80 ¥5.35

42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.38 ¥2.51

92.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.43 ¥2.91

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$6.63 ¥44.35

-80.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$14.65 ¥97.9

-14.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.78 ¥5.23

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$2.01 ¥13.44

-26.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.29 ¥1.91

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$17.74 ¥119

-35.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.53 ¥10.25

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.29 ¥1.91

113.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$4.29 ¥28.65

-30.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.08 ¥7.19

-15.74%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.7K ¥131.9K

54.93%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$17.1K ¥114.0K

72.16%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$57.7 ¥385

80.00%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$7.27 ¥48.60

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$12.00 ¥80.2

-12.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$41.86 ¥280

-37.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$14.89 ¥99.5

-20.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.30 ¥35.41

-26.60%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$385 ¥2,575

14.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$12.1K ¥80.9K

98.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$55.3 ¥370

-7.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$33.22 ¥222

5.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$60.6 ¥405

52.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$113 ¥758

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$294 ¥1,963

98.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$181 ¥1,208

64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$630 ¥4,212

106.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$370 ¥2,476

96.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$3,474 ¥23.2K

37.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,923 ¥12.9K

-3.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.31

161.03%

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 Jingmen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Jingmen

$181 24.1% 39.1% $116

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Jingmen

$228 30.4% 9.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Jingmen

$118 15.8% 4.5% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Jingmen

$77 10.3% 35.9% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Jingmen

$72 9.6% 11.6% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Jingmen

$52 7% 54.9% $19

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Jingmen

$22 2.9% 34.4% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $294 in Jingmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $22.00 in Jingmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $228, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Jingmen

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

2,873,687

💱 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) Jingmen 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Jingmen

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 Jingmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jingmen wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jingmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,124 in Jingmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $294 in Jingmen. 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 $749 in Jingmen – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jingmen runs roughly 55% 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 $749 in Jingmen versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jingmen but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Jingmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jingmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $749 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jingmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Jingmen 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 Jingmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.