Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Wuhan: $855 and $818 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Wuhan
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Wuhan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Wuhan

🇨🇳 China

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $818 in Wuhan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Wuhan $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,275 in Wuhan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Wuhan $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,733 in Wuhan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Wuhan $1,733

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 5% more expensive than in Wuhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Wuhan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$2.90 ¥19.35

-34.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$22.29 ¥149

4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$6.60 ¥44.14

-29.24%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.13 ¥14.21

-13.15%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.45 ¥2.98

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.31 ¥2.10

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.06 ¥7.08

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$3.43 ¥22.91

-50.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$2.07 ¥13.82

-23.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.85 ¥12.34

-43.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.00 ¥6.68

-1.00%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.62 ¥10.81

-1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$13.32 ¥89.0

-8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.62 ¥24.17

-2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$13.38 ¥89.4

-21.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.27 ¥15.17

36.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.21 ¥8.10

4.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.40 ¥9.37

12.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.15 ¥7.68

9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.82 ¥5.51

42.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$0.83 ¥5.53

38.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.34 ¥2.29

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.51 ¥3.42

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$6.65 ¥44.46

-81.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$15.08 ¥101

-18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$0.79 ¥5.29

24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.08 ¥13.90

-28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.57 ¥3.83

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$30.22 ¥202

-61.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.52 ¥10.19

-51.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.29 ¥1.91

120.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$4.16 ¥27.82

-23.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.35 ¥9.02

-29.63%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.1K ¥127.6K

61.01%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$16.8K ¥112.3K

81.96%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$58.1 ¥388

76.14%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$8.57 ¥57.3

-34.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$12.07 ¥80.6

-12.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$53.0 ¥354

-51.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$14.93 ¥99.8

-20.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$5.91 ¥39.48

-42.64%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$375 ¥2,508

16.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$11.7K ¥78.3K

98.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$54.7 ¥366

-5.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$33.13 ¥221

4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$78.8 ¥527

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$116 ¥778

-18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$344 ¥2,300

67.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$203 ¥1,358

43.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$650 ¥4,345

98.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$353 ¥2,357

103.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$3,088 ¥20.6K

52.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,480 ¥9,894

27.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,137 ¥7,598

-57.27%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Wuhan: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Wuhan

$203 24.8% 30.5% $89

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Wuhan

$228 27.7% 10.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Wuhan

$127 15.5% 4% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Wuhan

$79 9.6% 33.5% $40

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Wuhan

$84 10.2% 31.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Wuhan

$65 7.9% 98.6% $32

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Wuhan

$35 4.3% 112% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $344 in Wuhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wuhan pays 134% 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 Wuhan. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $228, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Wuhan

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

12,450,000

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Wuhan 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Wuhan

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 Wuhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Wuhan differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($855 vs $818 including rent). Wuhan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 134% lower in Wuhan. 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $344 in Wuhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $818 in Wuhan – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Wuhan runs roughly 160% 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 $818 in Wuhan versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wuhan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Wuhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Wuhan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $818 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wuhan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Wuhan 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 Wuhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.