Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchong: $685 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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
33

Cost of Living Index in Nanchong
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Nanchong Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Nanchong

🇨🇳 China

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $685 in Nanchong.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Nanchong $685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,108 in Nanchong.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Nanchong $1,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,530 in Nanchong.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Nanchong $1,530

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 25% more expensive than in Nanchong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Nanchong 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$1.81 ¥12.11

9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$22.47 ¥150

2.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$2.95 ¥19.72

61.36%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.02 ¥13.50

-7.92%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.47 ¥3.11

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.31 ¥2.09

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.21 ¥8.12

-14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.76 ¥11.80

-2.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$2.04 ¥13.63

-22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.63 ¥10.89

-33.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$0.64 ¥4.29

64.06%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$2.24 ¥14.98

-26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$17.80 ¥119

-30.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.33 ¥22.24

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.90 ¥66.2

6.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$1.55 ¥10.35

91.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.30 ¥8.69

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$1.24 ¥8.29

30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.22 ¥8.15

7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$0.62 ¥4.15

91.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.02 ¥6.79

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.84 ¥5.60

-13.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.67 ¥4.48

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$2.93 ¥19.57

-56.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$9.10 ¥60.9

36.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.76 ¥5.06

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.72 ¥11.48

-13.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.30 ¥1.98

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$16.96 ¥113

-32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.52 ¥10.19

-55.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.29 ¥1.92

113.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$2.93 ¥19.60

2.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.32 ¥8.83

-31.06%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.6K ¥130.8K

56.21%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$17.0K ¥114.0K

72.22%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$45.73 ¥306

126.92%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$7.14 ¥47.74

-18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$7.15 ¥47.84

46.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$42.10 ¥281

-38.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$16.22 ¥108

-26.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.83 ¥38.97

-33.28%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$285 ¥1,908

54.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$25.6K ¥171.2K

-6.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$38.66 ¥258

31.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$30.39 ¥203

15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$63.9 ¥427

44.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$64.2 ¥429

50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$300 ¥2,003

94.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$186 ¥1,245

59.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$614 ¥4,102

111.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$369 ¥2,467

97.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$3,544 ¥23.7K

34.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,958 ¥13.1K

-5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.34

158.68%

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 Nanchong: 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%

Nanchong

$186 27.2% 37.2% $110

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Nanchong

$215 31.4% 3.6% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Nanchong

$89 13% 28.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Nanchong

$60 8.8% 50% $60

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Nanchong

$60 8.8% 6.3% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Nanchong

$54 7.9% 58.8% $20

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Nanchong

$21 3.1% 29.8% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $300 in Nanchong. 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 Nanchong. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $215, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Nanchong

🕒 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

5,607,565

💱 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) Nanchong 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Nanchong

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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanchong wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nanchong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,028 in Nanchong 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 $300 in Nanchong. 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 $685 in Nanchong – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nanchong runs roughly 47% 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 $685 in Nanchong versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanchong but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Nanchong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nanchong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $685 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nanchong hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Nanchong 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 Nanchong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.