Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $993 in Zhongli City, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Zhongli City despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
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Zhongli City Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $993 in Zhongli City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Zhongli City $993

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,675 in Zhongli City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Zhongli City $1,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,357 in Zhongli City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Zhongli City $2,357

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 14% less than in Zhongli City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Zhongli City 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.62 NT$150

-58.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$31.29 NT$1,015

-27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.77 NT$155

-4.82%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.57 NT$83.4

-28.02%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.03 NT$33.52

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.69 NT$22.35

-53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.61 NT$52.2

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.75 NT$89.1

-37.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$3.18 NT$103

-47.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.74 NT$56.3

-36.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$2.71 NT$87.9

-63.10%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.60 NT$84.3

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$12.77 NT$414

-5.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$7.09 NT$230

-48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$15.39 NT$499

-33.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.74 NT$121

-20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.97 NT$63.8

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.08 NT$99.9

-49.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$2.22 NT$72.1

-41.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.23 NT$39.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.90 NT$61.5

-39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.44 NT$79.0

-69.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.85 NT$27.52

-34.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.77 NT$122

-67.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$15.45 NT$501

-18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.55 NT$50.2

-38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.55 NT$82.8

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.61 NT$19.90

-57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$37.64 NT$1,221

-69.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$2.68 NT$86.8

-72.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.58 NT$18.72

15.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.61 NT$312

-68.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.97 NT$31.60

-1.03%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-6.05%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$23.3K NT$754.6K

30.45%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$106 NT$3,433

-3.67%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.76 NT$479

-60.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$17.14 NT$556

-38.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$9.62 NT$312

-63.31%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$344 NT$11.1K

26.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$16.9K NT$546.5K

38.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$72.1 NT$2,338

-26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$36.46 NT$1,182

-6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$55.0 NT$1,782

64.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$108 NT$3,505

-12.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$448 NT$14.5K

31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$251 NT$8,125

18.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$874 NT$28.3K

47.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$716 NT$23.2K

-0.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$2,288 NT$74.2K

-78.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

2.1

311.43%

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 Zhongli City: 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%

Zhongli City

$251 25.2% 15.9% $47

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Zhongli City

$315 31.8% 52.2% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Zhongli City

$122 12.3% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Zhongli City

$138 13.9% 16.4% $19

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Zhongli City

$103 10.3% 61.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Zhongli City

$19 * 1.9% 41% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Zhongli City

$46 4.6% 174% $29

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 $448 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 367% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $31.00 in Zhongli City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $315 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

12:27 12:27 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

396,453

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zhongli City 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zhongli City

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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Zhongli City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 367% lower in Zhongli City. 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 $448 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $993 in Zhongli City – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 227% less than in Zhongli City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $993 in Zhongli City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Zhongli City. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zhongli City 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Zhongli City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.