Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Xiamen: $855 and $842 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 Xiamen
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Xiamen Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $842 in Xiamen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Xiamen $842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,338 in Xiamen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Xiamen $1,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,835 in Xiamen.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Xiamen $1,835

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 2% more expensive than in Xiamen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Xiamen 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$3.01 ¥20.10

-36.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$23.67 ¥158

-1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$5.36 ¥35.85

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.51 ¥16.78

-26.29%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.47 ¥3.14

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.35 ¥2.37

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.47 ¥9.86

-31.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.99 ¥19.97

-43.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.46 ¥9.78

8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$2.27 ¥15.20

-54.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.98 ¥6.55

1.02%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.63 ¥10.92

-1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$11.95 ¥79.9

2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$2.52 ¥16.83

40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$11.73 ¥78.4

-11.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.55 ¥17.05

21.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.47 ¥9.85

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.66 ¥11.09

-5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.97 ¥13.19

-36.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.03 ¥6.86

13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.82 ¥12.18

-36.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.91 ¥6.05

-20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.49 ¥3.31

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$3.06 ¥20.47

-60.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$11.22 ¥75.0

9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$0.81 ¥5.40

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.70 ¥11.37

-12.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.16 ¥1.07

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$12.10 ¥80.9

-3.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.47 ¥9.82

-50.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.29 ¥1.92

120.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$7.34 ¥49.07

-56.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.31 ¥8.78

-27.48%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.3K ¥128.8K

59.55%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$17.3K ¥115.4K

77.14%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$44.42 ¥297

130.30%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$8.81 ¥58.9

-35.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$10.23 ¥68.3

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$48.22 ¥322

-46.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$10.59 ¥70.8

11.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$10.22 ¥68.3

-66.83%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$488 ¥3,264

-10.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$24.1K ¥161.3K

-3.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$38.84 ¥260

32.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$28.49 ¥190

21.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$105 ¥703

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$84.5 ¥565

12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$342 ¥2,283

68.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$269 ¥1,798

8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$825 ¥5,511

56.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$547 ¥3,655

31.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$8,597 ¥57.5K

-45.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$4,684 ¥31.3K

-59.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,138 ¥7,607

-57.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.46

149.71%

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 Xiamen: 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%

Xiamen

$269 32.2% 7.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Xiamen

$216 25.8% 5% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Xiamen

$116 13.9% 5.6% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Xiamen

$63 7.6% 46.4% $55

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Xiamen

$87 10.4% 37% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Xiamen

$69 8.2% 110% $36

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Xiamen

$16 1.9% 6.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $342 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xiamen 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 $24.00 in Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $216 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

3,531,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Xiamen 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Xiamen

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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiamen wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xiamen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 134% lower in Xiamen. 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 $342 in Xiamen. 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 $842 in Xiamen – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Xiamen runs roughly 4% 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 $842 in Xiamen versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xiamen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $842 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xiamen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Xiamen 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 Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.