Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Shijiazhuang: $678 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

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 Shijiazhuang
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Shijiazhuang Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Shijiazhuang

🇨🇳 China

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $678 in Shijiazhuang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Shijiazhuang $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,015 in Shijiazhuang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Shijiazhuang $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,353 in Shijiazhuang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Shijiazhuang $1,353

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 27% more expensive than in Shijiazhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Shijiazhuang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.78 ¥11.90

7.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$18.80 ¥126

21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.46 ¥36.50

-16.85%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.22 ¥21.51

-42.55%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ¥3.14

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.27 ¥1.82

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.80 ¥5.34

32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.70 ¥11.35

1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.32 ¥8.86

25.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.14 ¥7.59

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.70 ¥4.65

42.86%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.23 ¥8.25

35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$16.09 ¥108

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.76 ¥18.46

33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$9.42 ¥63.0

8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$1.63 ¥10.90

81.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.24 ¥8.26

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$0.77 ¥5.18

102.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.22 ¥8.15

6.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.59 ¥3.92

108.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.58 ¥3.89

98.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.63 ¥4.23

17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.46 ¥3.09

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$3.81 ¥25.46

-67.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$3.68 ¥24.64

242.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.72 ¥4.84

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$0.73 ¥4.87

109.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.31 ¥2.10

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$17.78 ¥119

-35.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.17 ¥7.80

-35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.35 ¥2.34

91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.49 ¥23.36

-13.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.24 ¥8.29

-22.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

57.66%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$17.0K ¥113.9K

78.30%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$93.9 ¥628

8.59%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$4.40 ¥29.45

33.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$6.63 ¥44.35

58.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$13.96 ¥93.4

82.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$14.76 ¥98.7

-19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$5.52 ¥36.93

-36.05%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$377 ¥2,519

15.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$5,226 ¥35.0K

345.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$49.51 ¥331

6.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$26.52 ¥177

28.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$75.5 ¥505

19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$54.8 ¥366

73.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$302 ¥2,019

95.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$183 ¥1,222

62.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$408 ¥2,729

216.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$276 ¥1,848

157.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,499 ¥16.7K

87.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,670 ¥11.2K

14.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$801 ¥5,357

-38.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.31

161.03%

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 Shijiazhuang: 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%

Shijiazhuang

$183 27% 38.6% $115

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Shijiazhuang

$171 25.2% 17.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Shijiazhuang

$93 13.7% 24.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Shijiazhuang

$105 15.5% 11.3% $13

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Shijiazhuang

$80 11.7% 25.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Shijiazhuang

$25 3.7% 23.3% $7.6

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Shijiazhuang

$22 3.2% 31.8% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $302 in Shijiazhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shijiazhuang pays 64% 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 $19.00 in Shijiazhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $171 per month, with Shijiazhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

11,235,086

💱 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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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Shijiazhuang 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Shijiazhuang

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 Shijiazhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shijiazhuang wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shijiazhuang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Shijiazhuang. 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 $302 in Shijiazhuang. 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 $678 in Shijiazhuang – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shijiazhuang runs roughly 54% 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 $678 in Shijiazhuang versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shijiazhuang but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Shijiazhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shijiazhuang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $678 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shijiazhuang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.