Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhucheng: $715 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Zhucheng
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Zhucheng Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Zhucheng

🇨🇳 China

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $715 in Zhucheng.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Zhucheng $715

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,135 in Zhucheng.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Zhucheng $1,135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,555 in Zhucheng.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Zhucheng $1,555

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 20% more expensive than in Zhucheng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Zhucheng 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.71 ¥18.12

-29.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$21.54 ¥144

6.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.74 ¥31.70

-4.22%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.94 ¥19.64

-37.07%

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

$0.27 ¥1.78

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.95 ¥6.34

11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.10 ¥14.07

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.88 ¥12.56

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.61 ¥10.77

-31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.89 ¥5.96

12.36%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.55 ¥10.39

7.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.08 ¥87.5

-7.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.22 ¥21.56

14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$10.26 ¥68.6

-0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.80 ¥12.07

64.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.21 ¥8.08

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.52 ¥10.19

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.15 ¥7.67

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.70 ¥4.71

75.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.96 ¥6.44

19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.57 ¥3.79

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 ¥3.63

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.10 ¥20.73

-60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$10.63 ¥71.1

18.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.79 ¥5.29

21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.66 ¥11.09

-7.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.29 ¥1.95

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$16.80 ¥112

-31.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.42 ¥9.50

-47.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.36 ¥2.38

86.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$6.56 ¥43.84

-53.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.12 ¥7.51

-14.29%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$19.3K ¥129.2K

60.76%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$17.5K ¥116.8K

73.76%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$44.24 ¥296

130.52%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.82 ¥65.7

-40.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$11.80 ¥78.9

-11.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$41.73 ¥279

-38.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$14.06 ¥94.0

-15.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$6.08 ¥40.68

-41.94%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$331 ¥2,215

31.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$16.5K ¥110.5K

40.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$42.96 ¥287

22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$30.45 ¥204

12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$70.7 ¥473

27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$70.8 ¥473

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$277 ¥1,854

112.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$195 ¥1,301

53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$598 ¥3,997

116.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$366 ¥2,450

93.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,041 ¥20.3K

53.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$2,001 ¥13.4K

-4.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.89

122.11%

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 Zhucheng: 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%

Zhucheng

$195 27.2% 34.7% $103

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Zhucheng

$200 28% 3.4% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Zhucheng

$97 13.5% 21% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Zhucheng

$66 9.2% 44.4% $53

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Zhucheng

$83 11.6% 30.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Zhucheng

$54 7.5% 65.3% $21

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Zhucheng

$21 3% 27.1% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $277 in Zhucheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $22.00 in Zhucheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $200 per month, with Zhucheng cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Zhucheng

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,086,222

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zhucheng 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zhucheng

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 Zhucheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhucheng wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhucheng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,073 in Zhucheng 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $277 in Zhucheng. 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 $715 in Zhucheng – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhucheng runs roughly 46% 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 $715 in Zhucheng versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhucheng but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zhucheng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhucheng delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $715 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhucheng hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zhucheng 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 Zhucheng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.