Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $853 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.

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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
33

Cost of Living Index in Zaozhuang
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Zaozhuang Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $667 in Zaozhuang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Zaozhuang $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,022 in Zaozhuang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Zaozhuang $1,022

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,378 in Zaozhuang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Zaozhuang $1,378

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 28% more expensive than in Zaozhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Zaozhuang 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$1.82 ¥12.14

4.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$11.81 ¥78.6

94.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$2.26 ¥15.04

107.52%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.47 ¥9.80

22.45%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.39 ¥2.58

41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.15 ¥0.97

126.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$0.91 ¥6.07

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.77 ¥11.81

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.45 ¥9.63

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.42 ¥9.44

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.23 ¥8.15

-13.82%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.06 ¥7.07

50.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$11.74 ¥78.2

2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$3.29 ¥21.90

11.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$11.16 ¥74.3

-7.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$1.47 ¥9.76

104.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.03 ¥6.83

22.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.36 ¥9.07

19.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.09 ¥7.24

16.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$0.59 ¥3.92

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$0.70 ¥4.65

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$0.57 ¥3.80

36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.62 ¥4.09

-11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.65 ¥24.27

-65.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$9.84 ¥65.5

30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$0.71 ¥4.72

26.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.36 ¥9.05

7.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.28 ¥1.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$15.73 ¥105

-27.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.61 ¥10.72

-56.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.25 ¥1.65

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$4.48 ¥29.81

-31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.30 ¥8.67

-26.92%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$19.7K ¥131.0K

55.04%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$15.3K ¥101.7K

94.58%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$74.1 ¥493

37.97%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$6.84 ¥45.51

-17.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$5.08 ¥33.83

105.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$43.72 ¥291

-55.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$15.67 ¥104

-24.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$5.33 ¥35.47

-28.14%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$215 ¥1,430

125.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$19.7K ¥130.9K

18.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$33.72 ¥224

54.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$42.01 ¥280

-18.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$72.4 ¥482

27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$71.2 ¥474

32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$321 ¥2,135

101.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$172 ¥1,146

72.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$630 ¥4,192

104.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$318 ¥2,113

126.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$2,866 ¥19.1K

50.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,665 ¥11.1K

19.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.13

176.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Zaozhuang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Zaozhuang

$172 25.9% 42% $125

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Zaozhuang

$186 27.9% 10.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Zaozhuang

$99 14.8% 19.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Zaozhuang

$86 12.9% 27.3% $32

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Zaozhuang

$49 7.4% 21.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Zaozhuang

$54 8.2% 102% $27

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Zaozhuang

$20 3% 20.1% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $321 in Zaozhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $12 in Zaozhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $186 per month, with Zaozhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

2,125,000

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zaozhuang 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zaozhuang

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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaozhuang wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zaozhuang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,279 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,000 in Zaozhuang to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $321 in Zaozhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $667 in Zaozhuang – Zaozhuang is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 27% less than in Zaozhuang. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $667 in Zaozhuang versus $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $800 budget is realistic in Zaozhuang but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zaozhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.