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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Jiangmen versus $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,000 in Jiangmen versus $1,385 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,482 in Jiangmen versus $1,920 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Living in Jiangmen costs roughly 39% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jiangmen 62% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.36 ¥22.55

$2.14 ₫55.8K

57.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.85 ¥200

$22.91 ₫597.2K

30.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ¥33.88

$4.67 ₫121.8K

8.14%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ¥14.55

$1.78 ₫46.3K

21.91%

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

$0.43 ¥2.85

$0.53 ₫13.8K

-18.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.35 ₫9,012

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.19

$1.17 ₫30.6K

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.82

$1.66 ₫43.3K

-12.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥10.54

$1.57 ₫40.9K

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.32

$1.04 ₫27.1K

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.16

$1.00 ₫26.1K

7.00%

Eggs

$1.74 ¥11.70

$1.61 ₫42.0K

8.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.28 ¥149

$12.27 ₫319.8K

81.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.19 ¥14.70

$3.54 ₫92.2K

-38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ¥91.0

$10.43 ₫271.8K

30.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 ¥14.16

$3.12 ₫81.2K

-32.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.08

$1.28 ₫33.2K

-28.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$1.62 ₫42.1K

-27.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.21 ₫31.5K

17.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$1.22 ₫31.9K

-44.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.32

$1.19 ₫31.1K

-21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.72 ₫18.7K

-56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$0.51 ₫13.2K

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ¥19.51

$1.25 ₫32.5K

132.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 ¥84.8

$12.47 ₫324.9K

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$0.93 ₫24.3K

-24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$1.48 ₫38.5K

22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.28 ₫7,359

67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ₫295.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.41

$0.69 ₫18.0K

102.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.52

$0.60 ₫15.7K

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 ¥49.51

$3.09 ₫80.5K

138.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.39

$0.94 ₫24.5K

32.98%

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

$19.6K ¥131.8K

$30.8K ₫802.4M

-36.19%

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

$16.5K ¥110.5K

$30.6K ₫797.1M

-46.14%

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

$49.97 ¥335

$101 ₫2.6M

-50.62%

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

$8.39 ¥56.3

$5.95 ₫155.0K

41.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.25 ¥82.2

$10.16 ₫264.9K

20.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.91 ¥201

$24.64 ₫642.3K

21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.56 ¥30.58

$11.67 ₫304.3K

-60.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ¥41.83

$3.54 ₫92.4K

75.99%

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

$242 ¥1,624

$464 ₫12.1M

-47.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ¥50.6K

$22.7K ₫592.2M

-66.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.45 ¥198

$51.7 ₫1.3M

-43.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 ¥270

$34.93 ₫910.4K

15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 ¥458

$90.7 ₫2.4M

-24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.97 ¥295

$92.7 ₫2.4M

-52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ¥3,002

$1,271 ₫33.1M

-64.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 ¥1,765

$674 ₫17.6M

-60.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,007 ¥40.3K

$4,704 ₫122.6M

27.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,247 ¥8,366

$1,909 ₫49.8M

-34.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 ¥3,893

$488 ₫12.7M

18.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

8.64

-60.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Jiangmen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Jiangmen pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Jiangmen vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

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

Jiangmen vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiangmen wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jiangmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Jiangmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Jiangmen versus $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $518 in Jiangmen versus $850 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jiangmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jiangmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Jiangmen and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.