Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Xi'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi'an: $733 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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
35

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $733 in Xi'an.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Xi'an $733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,128 in Xi'an.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Xi'an $1,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,523 in Xi'an.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Xi'an $1,523

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 17% more expensive than in Xi'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Xi'an 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$2.72 ¥18.15

-30.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$18.21 ¥122

28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$4.55 ¥30.41

2.64%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.16 ¥14.45

-14.35%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.41 ¥2.71

36.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.27 ¥1.80

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.52 ¥10.16

-33.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$1.52 ¥10.13

11.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.47 ¥9.82

7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.72 ¥11.48

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.89 ¥5.97

11.24%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.46 ¥9.76

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$11.64 ¥77.8

5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$4.16 ¥27.82

-14.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$10.40 ¥69.5

0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$1.63 ¥10.92

89.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.16 ¥7.75

8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.29 ¥8.60

21.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.32 ¥8.82

-4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.69 ¥4.62

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$0.73 ¥4.90

57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.61 ¥4.08

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.58 ¥3.88

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$3.46 ¥23.10

-64.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$9.96 ¥66.6

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$0.82 ¥5.48

19.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.68 ¥11.20

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.29 ¥1.93

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$26.12 ¥175

-55.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.28 ¥8.57

-42.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.31 ¥2.09

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$4.51 ¥30.13

-29.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.34 ¥8.99

-29.10%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.1K ¥127.8K

60.79%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$17.6K ¥117.5K

73.96%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$89.4 ¥597

14.48%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$6.09 ¥40.72

-7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$10.78 ¥72.1

-2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$30.01 ¥201

-13.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$21.10 ¥141

-43.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$5.96 ¥39.82

-43.12%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$692 ¥4,626

-36.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

33.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$38.93 ¥260

32.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$36.83 ¥246

-6.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$74.2 ¥496

23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$92.5 ¥618

2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$310 ¥2,071

86.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$178 ¥1,190

64.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$879 ¥5,876

47.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$350 ¥2,341

104.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$2,369 ¥15.8K

98.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,647 ¥11.0K

14.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,069 ¥7,141

-54.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.35

157.91%

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 Xi'an: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Xi'an

$178 24.2% 39.1% $114

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Xi'an

$195 26.6% 4.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Xi'an

$109 14.8% 11% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Xi'an

$106 14.5% 10.3% $12

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Xi'an

$75 10.2% 17.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Xi'an

$42 5.7% 28.5% $9.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Xi'an

$30 4.1% 80.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $310 in Xi'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xi'an pays 120% 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 $18.00 in Xi'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $195 per month, with Xi'an cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

20:05 8:05 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

12,183,280

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Xi'an 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Xi'an

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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xi'an wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xi'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 120% lower in Xi'an. 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 $310 in Xi'an. 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 $733 in Xi'an – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Xi'an runs roughly 125% 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 $733 in Xi'an versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xi'an but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Xi'an the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xi'an delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xi'an hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Xi'an 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 Xi'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.