Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $620 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
Learn more

Zhoushan Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $620 in Zhoushan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Zhoushan $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,005 in Zhoushan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Zhoushan $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,390 in Zhoushan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Zhoushan $1,390

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 38% more expensive than in Zhoushan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Zhoushan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.39 ¥22.63

-43.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.03 ¥127

20.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.07 ¥27.24

11.55%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.95 ¥19.74

-37.29%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.46 ¥3.10

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.25 ¥1.66

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.77 ¥5.15

37.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.84 ¥12.32

-6.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.83 ¥12.26

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$2.07 ¥13.87

-46.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.89 ¥5.95

12.36%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.06 ¥7.07

57.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.35 ¥89.2

-9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.51 ¥23.45

4.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$10.96 ¥73.3

-6.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.53 ¥10.26

93.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.22 ¥8.17

1.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.45 ¥9.72

7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.22 ¥8.13

6.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.58 ¥3.88

112.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.81 ¥5.42

41.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.63 ¥4.23

17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.58 ¥3.90

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$5.30 ¥35.45

-76.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$11.80 ¥78.9

6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.88 ¥5.89

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.14 ¥14.34

-28.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.31 ¥2.10

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$15.13 ¥101

-23.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.45 ¥9.71

-48.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.42 ¥2.81

59.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$8.91 ¥59.6

-65.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.22 ¥8.13

-21.31%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

60.08%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$16.4K ¥109.7K

85.04%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$36.17 ¥242

181.95%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$11.52 ¥77.0

-48.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.25 ¥182

-61.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$25.31 ¥169

0.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.45 ¥49.79

60.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.85 ¥39.10

-39.66%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$440 ¥2,942

-0.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$16.3K ¥108.7K

43.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$34.64 ¥232

52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$21.10 ¥141

61.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$65.4 ¥437

38.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$44.10 ¥295

115.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$329 ¥2,197

79.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$119 ¥797

149.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$745 ¥4,979

73.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$273 ¥1,827

160.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,953 ¥19.7K

58.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$2,009 ¥13.4K

-5.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$589 ¥3,935

-16.82%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: 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%

Zhoushan

$119 19.2% 60% $179

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Zhoushan

$209 33.8% 1% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Zhoushan

$74 12% 39.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Zhoushan

$75 12.1% 36.7% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Zhoushan

$85 13.7% 34.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Zhoushan

$37 6% 13.5% $4.4

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Zhoushan

$20 3.2% 19.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $329 in Zhoushan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhoushan pays 20% 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 $19.00 in Zhoushan. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $209, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,157,817

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zhoushan 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zhoushan

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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhoushan wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhoushan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Zhoushan. 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 $329 in Zhoushan. 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 $620 in Zhoushan – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhoushan runs roughly 31% 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 $620 in Zhoushan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhoushan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zhoushan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhoushan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $620 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhoushan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.