Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Liuzhou: $770 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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)
Learn more

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Liuzhou
Learn more

Liuzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Liuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $770 in Liuzhou.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Liuzhou $770

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,197 in Liuzhou.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Liuzhou $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,625 in Liuzhou.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Liuzhou $1,625

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 12% more expensive than in Liuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Liuzhou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.71 ¥18.13

-26.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$22.23 ¥149

4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$5.25 ¥35.12

-9.33%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.82 ¥18.85

-34.04%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.51 ¥3.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.31 ¥2.08

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.06 ¥7.12

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$2.15 ¥14.38

-20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.85 ¥12.34

-14.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.59 ¥10.64

-31.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.99 ¥6.59

6.06%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.69 ¥11.28

-2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$13.19 ¥88.2

-6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.35 ¥22.37

6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$11.24 ¥75.2

-6.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.47 ¥9.82

102.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$0.87 ¥5.79

44.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.50 ¥10.05

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.32 ¥8.82

-0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.75 ¥5.00

58.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$0.95 ¥6.32

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.60 ¥3.99

21.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.59 ¥3.95

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$3.83 ¥25.61

-66.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$11.43 ¥76.4

9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.89 ¥5.95

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.62 ¥10.84

-8.64%

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

$18.21 ¥122

-37.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.52 ¥10.16

-55.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.33 ¥2.18

87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$6.99 ¥46.76

-57.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.39 ¥9.33

-34.53%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.5K ¥130.3K

56.84%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$17.1K ¥114.3K

71.72%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$57.8 ¥387

79.50%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$8.84 ¥59.1

-34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$11.27 ¥75.3

-7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$80.0 ¥535

-67.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$15.15 ¥101

-21.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$6.26 ¥41.84

-37.86%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$418 ¥2,796

5.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$17.3K ¥115.5K

39.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$43.99 ¥294

15.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$33.95 ¥227

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$75.8 ¥507

21.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$76.0 ¥508

26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$239 ¥1,598

143.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$185 ¥1,237

60.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$419 ¥2,800

209.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$316 ¥2,115

129.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$3,506 ¥23.4K

36.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,907 ¥12.7K

-2.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$608 ¥4,066

-19.43%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: 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%

Liuzhou

$185 24% 37.6% $112

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Liuzhou

$204 26.5% 1.6% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Liuzhou

$103 13.4% 16.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Liuzhou

$78 10.1% 35.1% $42

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Liuzhou

$84 10.9% 30.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Liuzhou

$93 12% 173% $59

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Liuzhou

$23 2.9% 39% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $239 in Liuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liuzhou pays 24% 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 $22.00 in Liuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $204 per month, with Liuzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Liuzhou

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

4,157,934

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Liuzhou 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Liuzhou

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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Liuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Liuzhou. 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 $239 in Liuzhou. 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 $770 in Liuzhou – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Liuzhou runs roughly 58% 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 $770 in Liuzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Liuzhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Liuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Liuzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $770 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Liuzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Liuzhou 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 Liuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.