Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zunyi: $708 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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 Zunyi
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Zunyi Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Zunyi

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $708 in Zunyi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Zunyi $708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,132 in Zunyi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Zunyi $1,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,556 in Zunyi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Zunyi $1,556

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 21% more expensive than in Zunyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$2.85 ¥19.07

-33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$21.67 ¥145

7.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$4.79 ¥32.01

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$3.09 ¥20.63

-40.13%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.44 ¥2.92

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.29 ¥1.95

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$0.95 ¥6.35

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.11 ¥14.10

-19.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.85 ¥12.37

-14.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.62 ¥10.84

-35.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.97 ¥6.45

2.06%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.52 ¥10.19

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$13.05 ¥87.2

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.14 ¥20.97

12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$10.34 ¥69.1

0.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$1.81 ¥12.09

70.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.21 ¥8.06

4.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.55 ¥10.37

1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.14 ¥7.65

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$0.75 ¥5.04

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$0.91 ¥6.11

26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.55 ¥3.69

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.55 ¥3.67

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$3.22 ¥21.53

-62.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$10.46 ¥69.9

17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$0.74 ¥4.95

32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.65 ¥11.00

-9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.27 ¥1.79

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$16.92 ¥113

-31.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.35 ¥9.01

-45.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.36 ¥2.38

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$6.50 ¥43.43

-51.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.13 ¥7.55

-15.93%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$19.3K ¥129.3K

58.92%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$17.2K ¥114.7K

78.27%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$45.89 ¥307

122.92%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$9.82 ¥65.6

-42.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$11.85 ¥79.2

-11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$41.57 ¥278

-37.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$14.14 ¥94.5

-16.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$5.79 ¥38.72

-41.45%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$341 ¥2,277

28.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$17.0K ¥113.9K

36.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$43.28 ¥289

19.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$30.23 ¥202

14.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$71.0 ¥475

28.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$72.5 ¥485

30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$280 ¥1,872

105.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$193 ¥1,291

51.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$583 ¥3,897

121.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$359 ¥2,402

99.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$2,980 ¥19.9K

58.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,990 ¥13.3K

-5.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

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 5, 2026

Last update for Zunyi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Zunyi

$193 26.9% 33.9% $99

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Zunyi

$200 27.8% 2.9% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Zunyi

$98 13.6% 20.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Zunyi

$68 9.4% 43% $51

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Zunyi

$86 12% 35.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Zunyi

$53 7.4% 62.9% $21

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Zunyi

$21 2.9% 26.5% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $280 in Zunyi. 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 Zunyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $200 per month, with Zunyi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇨🇳 Zunyi

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

6,606,675

💱 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,003 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 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) Zunyi 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zunyi

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 Zunyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zunyi wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zunyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,283 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,063 in Zunyi 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $280 in Zunyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $708 in Zunyi – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zunyi 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 $708 in Zunyi versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zunyi but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zunyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zunyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $708 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zunyi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zunyi 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 Zunyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.