Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $589 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
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Taiyuan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $589 in Taiyuan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Taiyuan $589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $913 in Taiyuan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Taiyuan $913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,238 in Taiyuan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Taiyuan $1,238

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 46% more expensive than in Taiyuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Taiyuan 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.28 ¥15.21

-16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$14.73 ¥98.4

55.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.40 ¥29.37

3.18%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.64 ¥17.60

-29.92%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ¥3.11

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.29 ¥1.92

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.22 ¥8.12

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.15 ¥14.36

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.83 ¥5.51

20.48%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.01 ¥6.75

65.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$13.02 ¥86.9

-21.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.87 ¥12.50

58.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.38 ¥9.20

-10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$0.81 ¥5.40

92.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.16 ¥7.76

12.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.48 ¥3.20

156.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.29 ¥1.91

296.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.46 ¥3.07

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.95 ¥19.72

-57.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.56 ¥50.5

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.87 ¥5.80

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.45 ¥9.71

5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$13.65 ¥91.1

-15.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.18 ¥7.89

-36.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ¥1.53

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.73 ¥24.88

-18.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.25 ¥8.32

-23.20%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$20.0K ¥133.4K

55.49%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$17.5K ¥117.1K

73.12%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$94.3 ¥630

8.12%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$10.27 ¥68.6

-42.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$12.74 ¥85.1

-17.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$45.17 ¥302

-43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$8.76 ¥58.5

36.07%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$6.64 ¥44.31

-46.84%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$27.60 ¥184

91.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$67.2 ¥449

-49.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$74.0 ¥494

21.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$59.4 ¥397

59.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$223 ¥1,488

164.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$114 ¥759

161.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$556 ¥3,714

132.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$259 ¥1,730

174.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,629 ¥17.6K

77.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,252 ¥8,356

52.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$928 ¥6,194

-47.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.83

125.59%

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 Taiyuan: 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%

Taiyuan

$114 19.3% 61.8% $184

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Taiyuan

$103 * 17.5% 50.3% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Taiyuan

$103 17.4% 16.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Taiyuan

$117 19.9% 0.9% $1

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Taiyuan

$76 13% 20.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Taiyuan

$58 9.9% 79.3% $26

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Taiyuan

$17 2.9% 3.4% $0.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $223 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taiyuan pays 89% 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 $15.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $103 per month, with Taiyuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

22:23 10:23 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

3,525,300

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Taiyuan 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Taiyuan

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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiyuan wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taiyuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Taiyuan. 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 $223 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $589 in Taiyuan – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $589 in Taiyuan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiyuan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Taiyuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taiyuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taiyuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.