Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zibo: $723 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zibo
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Zibo Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Zibo

🇨🇳 China

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $723 in Zibo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Zibo $723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,158 in Zibo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Zibo $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,594 in Zibo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Zibo $1,594

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 19% more expensive than in Zibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Zibo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.23 ¥28.29

-54.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.4K

$24.35 ¥163

-6.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.89 ¥39.39

-22.92%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.95 ¥26.39

-53.16%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ¥3.18

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,187

$0.28 ¥1.88

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.93 ¥6.20

13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.69 ¥11.27

1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.43 ¥9.57

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.73 ¥4.86

52.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.87 ¥5.85

14.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$1.27 ¥8.51

31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.9K

$15.16 ¥101

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.07 ¥13.86

77.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.2K

$5.95 ¥39.78

72.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.6K

$1.22 ¥8.18

142.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.87 ¥5.82

42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.03 ¥6.86

51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$0.92 ¥6.12

41.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.43 ¥2.88

186.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.88 ¥5.88

30.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.44 ¥2.91

68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.63 ¥4.19

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$5.36 ¥35.87

-76.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$13.27 ¥88.7

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.73 ¥4.86

31.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.48 ¥9.87

3.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,696

$0.29 ¥1.91

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫298.0K

$17.98 ¥120

-35.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.19 ¥7.94

-36.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.35 ¥2.37

91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$6.33 ¥42.31

-52.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.09 ¥7.29

-11.93%

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

$31.1K ₫804.4M

$19.1K ¥128.0K

62.30%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$14.8K ¥99.1K

104.91%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$94.6 ¥633

7.79%

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

$5.89 ₫152.6K

$6.17 ¥41.28

-4.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.7K

$5.92 ¥39.61

77.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.3K

$44.36 ¥297

-42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.6K

$15.33 ¥103

-22.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.4K

$7.40 ¥49.48

-52.30%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$181 ¥1,211

141.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.9M

$17.6K ¥118.0K

31.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$29.37 ¥196

79.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.3K

$22.17 ¥148

54.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$74.1 ¥496

21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$89.8 ¥601

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$304 ¥2,031

94.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$159 ¥1,061

87.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$593 ¥3,967

117.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$368 ¥2,459

93.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$3,094 ¥20.7K

51.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,981 ¥13.2K

-3.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$751 ¥5,024

-34.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

3.54

144.07%

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 Zibo: 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%

Zibo

$159 22% 46.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Zibo

$169 23.4% 18.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Zibo

$97 13.4% 20.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Zibo

$107 14.8% 9.9% $12

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Zibo

$110 15.2% 73.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Zibo

$59 8.2% 81.5% $27

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Zibo

$22 3.1% 32.6% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $304 in Zibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zibo pays 53% 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 Zibo. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $169, with Zibo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Zibo

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

17:00 5:00 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

4,708,400

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zibo 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zibo

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 Zibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zibo wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zibo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Zibo. 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 $304 in Zibo. 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 $723 in Zibo – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zibo runs roughly 56% 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 $723 in Zibo versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zibo but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zibo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $723 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zibo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zibo 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 Zibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.