Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinzhou: $744 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Jinzhou
Learn more

Jinzhou Living Index
42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Jinzhou

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jinzhou and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $744 in Jinzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Jinzhou $744
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Jinzhou versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Jinzhou $1,182
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,620 in Jinzhou versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Jinzhou $1,620
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Jinzhou costs roughly 13% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jinzhou 45% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.85

$1.91 ₫49.6K

55.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.15 ¥148

$22.84 ₫591.4K

-3.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.15

$4.54 ₫117.6K

12.56%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ¥18.81

$1.85 ₫48.0K

51.89%

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

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-16.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.32 ₫8,187

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ¥7.32

$1.06 ₫27.5K

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.75

$1.72 ₫44.5K

19.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.88

$1.66 ₫42.9K

7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.68

$1.11 ₫28.7K

44.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$1.00 ₫25.9K

2.00%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.20

$1.67 ₫43.2K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 ¥92.6

$12.08 ₫312.9K

14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ¥25.09

$3.68 ₫95.2K

1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 ¥80.9

$10.24 ₫265.2K

18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.25

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$1.24 ₫32.2K

5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.17

$1.56 ₫40.3K

7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.58

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.03

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.47

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ¥22.40

$1.24 ₫32.2K

170.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 ¥70.2

$12.60 ₫326.2K

-16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.43

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ¥9.44

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-7.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.26 ₫6,696

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.28 ¥116

$11.51 ₫298.0K

50.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$0.75 ₫19.5K

96.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-50.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 ¥41.94

$3.03 ₫78.5K

106.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$0.96 ₫24.8K

31.25%

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

$20.8K ¥139.2K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-32.99%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-36.04%

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

$61.6 ¥412

$102 ₫2.6M

-39.61%

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

$9.25 ¥61.8

$5.89 ₫152.6K

57.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$10.49 ₫271.7K

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.37 ¥250

$25.54 ₫661.3K

46.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.38 ¥89.5

$11.92 ₫308.6K

12.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 ¥37.32

$3.53 ₫91.4K

58.07%

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

$425 ¥2,843

$436 ₫11.3M

-2.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥105.0K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

-32.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.31 ¥283

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-19.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.77 ¥206

$34.15 ₫884.3K

-9.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 ¥535

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-11.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 ¥434

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ¥1,776

$589 ₫15.3M

-54.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ¥1,321

$298 ₫7.7M

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 ¥4,293

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-50.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ¥2,585

$711 ₫18.4M

-45.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,375 ¥22.6K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-27.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,212 ¥14.8K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 ¥2,996

$490 ₫12.7M

-8.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

8.64

-61.11%

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

Last update for Jinzhou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jinzhou

$212 28.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 2.1% $4.4

Accommodation & Living

Jinzhou

$198 26.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 50.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Jinzhou

$98 13.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 24.8% $24

Eating Out

Jinzhou

$86 11.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 25.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jinzhou

$81 10.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 45.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Jinzhou

$49 6.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 32.8% $16

Getting Around

Jinzhou

$22 2.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 22.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Jinzhou and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Jinzhou vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $212 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jinzhou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

1 h behind Jinzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,703,853

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

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).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jinzhou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Jinzhou
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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

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

Jinzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jinzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 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: $266 in Jinzhou versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $744 per month in Jinzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jinzhou runs roughly 50% 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 $744 in Jinzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinzhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Jinzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jinzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $744 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jinzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.