Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $710 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
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Kunshan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $710 in Kunshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Kunshan $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,135 in Kunshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Kunshan $1,135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,561 in Kunshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Kunshan $1,561

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 20% more expensive than in Kunshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kunshan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.2K

$2.76 ¥18.47

-31.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫604.8K

$21.37 ¥143

9.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫121.2K

$4.78 ¥31.96

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.03 ¥20.28

-38.94%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.46 ¥3.09

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,875

$0.29 ¥1.94

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$0.94 ¥6.28

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.8K

$2.14 ¥14.32

-21.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.9K

$1.85 ¥12.38

-14.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.1K

$1.56 ¥10.43

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.94 ¥6.29

5.32%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.6K

$1.61 ¥10.78

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫317.3K

$13.00 ¥86.9

-5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.9K

$3.24 ¥21.67

9.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.8K

$10.38 ¥69.4

0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫80.1K

$1.81 ¥12.10

70.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.19 ¥7.98

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.48 ¥9.90

6.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.09 ¥7.27

15.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.70 ¥4.70

67.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.98 ¥6.52

17.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.8K

$0.56 ¥3.74

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.51 ¥3.44

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$3.16 ¥21.15

-61.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫318.5K

$10.71 ¥71.6

14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.5K

$0.74 ¥4.96

32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.6K

$1.59 ¥10.63

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,264

$0.27 ¥1.78

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫301.5K

$17.00 ¥114

-31.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫19.0K

$1.41 ¥9.44

-48.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.33 ¥2.18

93.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.2K

$6.75 ¥45.12

-53.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.7K

$1.18 ¥7.91

-19.49%

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

$30.7K ₫797.2M

$19.8K ¥132.2K

55.38%

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

$30.6K ₫793.2M

$17.4K ¥116.1K

76.00%

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

$102 ₫2.7M

$44.30 ¥296

130.93%

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

$5.65 ₫146.4K

$9.92 ¥66.3

-43.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.8K

$11.65 ¥77.9

-9.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫670.6K

$41.65 ¥278

-37.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫306.6K

$13.67 ¥91.4

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫88.0K

$5.99 ¥40.04

-43.41%

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

$438 ₫11.4M

$331 ¥2,211

32.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫604.4M

$16.7K ¥111.6K

39.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$42.98 ¥287

19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫896.2K

$29.88 ¥200

15.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$72.0 ¥481

26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$72.0 ¥481

31.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫15.0M

$273 ¥1,824

111.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$196 ¥1,310

49.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$601 ¥4,017

115.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$356 ¥2,376

101.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.2M

$3,052 ¥20.4K

54.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.8M

$2,029 ¥13.6K

-7.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.89

122.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Kunshan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Kunshan

$196 27.3% 32.9% $96

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Kunshan

$199 27.7% 3.1% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Kunshan

$98 13.6% 20.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Kunshan

$66 9.2% 44.4% $53

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Kunshan

$85 11.8% 33.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kunshan

$54 7.5% 64.3% $21

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Kunshan

$21 2.9% 26.4% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $273 in Kunshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $21.00 in Kunshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $199 per month, with Kunshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

2,092,496

💱 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,951 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 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) Kunshan 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kunshan

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 Kunshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kunshan wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kunshan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,283 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,065 in Kunshan 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $273 in Kunshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $710 in Kunshan – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kunshan runs roughly 46% 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 $710 in Kunshan versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kunshan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Kunshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kunshan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $710 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kunshan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kunshan 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 Kunshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.