Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiujiang: $793 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $790 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Jiujiang
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Jiujiang Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Jiujiang

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $793 in Jiujiang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Jiujiang $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,237 in Jiujiang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Jiujiang $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,681 in Jiujiang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Jiujiang $1,681

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 8% more expensive than in Jiujiang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Jiujiang 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.61 ¥17.48

-26.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$22.60 ¥151

1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.53 ¥30.27

0.22%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.75 ¥18.39

-32.73%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.50 ¥3.32

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$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

$2.05 ¥13.73

-16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.61 ¥10.77

3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.05 ¥13.73

-45.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.80 ¥5.36

25.00%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.84 ¥12.29

-9.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$13.68 ¥91.5

-11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.81 ¥32.16

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$11.70 ¥78.2

-12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$2.33 ¥15.58

27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.74 ¥11.62

-28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.73 ¥11.54

-9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.54 ¥10.31

-15.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.80 ¥5.37

53.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.01 ¥6.74

13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.86 ¥5.72

-13.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.71 ¥4.76

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$2.97 ¥19.86

-58.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$12.07 ¥80.7

4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.86 ¥5.76

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.89 ¥12.61

-19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.30 ¥2.01

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$18.59 ¥124

-38.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.19 ¥7.94

-36.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.35 ¥2.34

91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.57 ¥23.88

-15.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.27 ¥8.50

-24.41%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

57.64%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$16.4K ¥110.0K

84.55%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$49.03 ¥328

108.00%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$9.24 ¥61.8

-36.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$12.08 ¥80.8

-13.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$42.46 ¥284

-39.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$17.05 ¥114

-30.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$6.23 ¥41.64

-43.34%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$240 ¥1,607

81.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$8,703 ¥58.2K

167.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$88.4 ¥591

-40.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$33.31 ¥223

2.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$64.3 ¥430

40.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$97.6 ¥653

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$291 ¥1,943

102.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$205 ¥1,368

45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$552 ¥3,694

133.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$338 ¥2,260

110.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,711 ¥24.8K

26.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$2,067 ¥13.8K

-7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$594 ¥3,970

-17.52%

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 Jiujiang: 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%

Jiujiang

$205 25.8% 31.3% $93

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Jiujiang

$233 29.4% 12.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Jiujiang

$128 16.1% 4.2% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Jiujiang

$70 8.9% 40.6% $48

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Jiujiang

$80 10.1% 25.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Jiujiang

$55 6.9% 68.5% $22

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Jiujiang

$23 2.9% 36.5% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $291 in Jiujiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiujiang pays 21% 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 Jiujiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $233 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Jiujiang

🕒 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

4,728,778

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Jiujiang 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Jiujiang

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 Jiujiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Jiujiang differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $793 including rent). Jiujiang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Jiujiang. 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 $291 in Jiujiang. 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 $793 in Jiujiang – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jiujiang runs roughly 62% 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 $793 in Jiujiang versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jiujiang but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Jiujiang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jiujiang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $793 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jiujiang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.