Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Linfen: $720 a month against $859 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.

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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 Linfen
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Linfen Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Linfen

🇨🇳 China

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $720 in Linfen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Linfen $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,205 in Linfen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Linfen $1,205

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,690 in Linfen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Linfen $1,690

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 19% more expensive than in Linfen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.93 ¥19.59

-34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$22.19 ¥148

2.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.20 ¥34.79

-12.69%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.01 ¥20.12

-38.54%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.50 ¥3.36

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.31 ¥2.08

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.03 ¥6.87

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.79 ¥11.98

-3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.86 ¥12.47

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.68 ¥11.25

-33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.01 ¥6.74

-0.99%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.68 ¥11.22

-0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$14.22 ¥95.1

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.97 ¥19.83

23.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$11.77 ¥78.7

-13.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.62 ¥10.81

82.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.18 ¥7.92

5.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.51 ¥10.08

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.39 ¥9.30

-6.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.71 ¥4.75

73.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.97 ¥6.52

18.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.57 ¥3.80

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 ¥3.64

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.04 ¥27.04

-69.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$11.79 ¥78.9

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.94 ¥6.27

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.40 ¥9.38

9.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.33 ¥2.23

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$15.49 ¥104

-25.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.58 ¥10.57

-52.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.33 ¥2.19

103.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$6.32 ¥42.28

-52.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.19 ¥7.93

-19.33%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$18.0K ¥120.4K

72.53%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.3K ¥122.1K

66.26%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$57.5 ¥384

77.39%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.82 ¥59.0

-33.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$10.96 ¥73.3

-4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$46.28 ¥309

-44.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$13.78 ¥92.1

-13.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$7.26 ¥48.52

-51.38%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$379 ¥2,537

15.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$19.7K ¥131.6K

18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$44.14 ¥295

19.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$33.84 ¥226

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$76.2 ¥509

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$76.1 ¥509

24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$330 ¥2,206

78.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$160 ¥1,069

86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$668 ¥4,468

93.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$429 ¥2,868

65.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,350 ¥22.4K

39.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$2,134 ¥14.3K

-10.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.36

157.14%

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 Linfen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Linfen

$160 22.2% 46.3% $138

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Linfen

$211 29.3% 1.9% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Linfen

$104 14.4% 15.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Linfen

$77 10.7% 34.7% $41

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Linfen

$87 12.1% 37.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Linfen

$61 8.4% 86.5% $28

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Linfen

$20 2.8% 20.4% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $330 in Linfen. 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 Linfen. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $211, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Linfen

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

617,000

💱 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) Linfen 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Linfen

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 Linfen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Linfen wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Linfen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,080 in Linfen 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $330 in Linfen. 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 $720 in Linfen – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Linfen runs roughly 35% 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 $720 in Linfen versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Linfen but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Linfen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Linfen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $720 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Linfen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Linfen 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 Linfen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.