Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $700 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$700

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $700 in Zhongshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Zhongshan $700

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,110 in Zhongshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Zhongshan $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,521 in Zhongshan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Zhongshan $1,521

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 23% more expensive than in Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Zhongshan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.91 ¥19.47

-34.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$24.18 ¥162

-5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.47 ¥29.86

1.57%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.81 ¥18.80

-34.16%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ¥3.15

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.29 ¥1.93

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.78 ¥5.19

35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.81 ¥12.14

-4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.55 ¥10.38

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.59 ¥10.61

-30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.64 ¥4.31

56.25%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.20 ¥8.00

39.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$20.77 ¥139

-41.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.79 ¥18.63

31.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$13.52 ¥90.4

-24.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$2.04 ¥13.65

45.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.03 ¥6.88

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$0.69 ¥4.60

126.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.42 ¥9.50

-8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.53 ¥3.57

132.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.78 ¥5.19

47.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.43 ¥2.88

72.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 ¥3.60

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$2.96 ¥19.79

-58.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$12.02 ¥80.4

4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.69 ¥4.63

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.80 ¥12.01

-15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.29 ¥1.92

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$15.18 ¥102

-24.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.48 ¥9.88

-49.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.42 ¥2.78

59.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$7.11 ¥47.58

-57.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.29 ¥8.65

-25.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.1K ¥128.0K

62.27%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$18.0K ¥120.7K

68.21%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$41.21 ¥276

147.46%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$9.85 ¥65.9

-40.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$12.75 ¥85.3

-17.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$67.8 ¥454

-62.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$7.33 ¥49.00

62.62%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$6.04 ¥40.42

-41.56%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$324 ¥2,164

34.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$13.6K ¥90.9K

71.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$49.30 ¥330

7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$40.39 ¥270

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$59.9 ¥400

50.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$76.0 ¥508

25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$208 ¥1,391

183.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$129 ¥864

130.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$371 ¥2,483

247.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$215 ¥1,437

230.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,447 ¥16.4K

91.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,515 ¥10.1K

25.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$956 ¥6,396

-48.81%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Zhongshan

$129 18.5% 56.6% $169

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Zhongshan

$224 32.1% 8.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 17.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Zhongshan

$64 9.1% 46.1% $55

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Zhongshan

$81 11.6% 27.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Zhongshan

$80 11.4% 145% $47

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 19.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $208 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 95% 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 Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $224 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

3,209,600

💱 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 25,894 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,997 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zhongshan 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zhongshan

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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhongshan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Zhongshan. 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 $208 in Zhongshan. 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 $700 in Zhongshan – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhongshan runs roughly 32% 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 $700 in Zhongshan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhongshan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $700 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhongshan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.