Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanzhou: $712 a month against $862 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.

34

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
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Lanzhou Living Index
42

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

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Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Lanzhou versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Lanzhou $712
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Lanzhou versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Lanzhou $1,132
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in Lanzhou versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Lanzhou $1,553
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Lanzhou costs roughly 17% 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: Lanzhou 47% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ¥13.83

$1.98 ₫51.3K

4.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.47 ¥190

$23.14 ₫599.0K

23.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ¥36.69

$4.76 ₫123.2K

15.34%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ¥16.93

$1.86 ₫48.1K

36.02%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.51 ₫13.3K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.32 ₫8,191

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.03

$1.03 ₫26.7K

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.24

$1.71 ₫44.4K

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.58 ₫40.8K

12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.09 ₫28.3K

49.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.48

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-7.62%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.03

$1.64 ₫42.6K

0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 ¥88.4

$12.33 ₫319.2K

7.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ¥22.04

$3.58 ₫92.6K

-7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 ¥80.6

$10.56 ₫273.3K

14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.90

$1.26 ₫32.7K

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.53

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-2.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-42.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.28

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-13.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.56 ₫14.6K

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 ¥24.36

$1.28 ₫33.0K

184.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 ¥76.9

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.77

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$1.48 ₫38.3K

5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.26 ₫6,704

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.98 ¥120

$11.43 ₫296.0K

57.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$0.68 ₫17.7K

114.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.76

$3.00 ₫77.7K

143.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$0.91 ₫23.5K

65.93%

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

$18.7K ¥125.2K

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-38.74%

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

$15.8K ¥105.4K

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-46.32%

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

$58.2 ¥389

$104 ₫2.7M

-43.93%

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

$8.61 ¥57.6

$5.79 ₫149.9K

48.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.46 ¥76.6

$10.48 ₫271.3K

9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 ¥276

$26.08 ₫675.1K

58.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.73 ¥98.5

$11.90 ₫308.1K

23.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ¥43.58

$3.89 ₫100.7K

67.61%

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

$396 ¥2,648

$440 ₫11.4M

-9.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-29.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.29 ¥283

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-16.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 ¥227

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥499

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 ¥506

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-21.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 ¥2,037

$582 ₫15.1M

-47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ¥1,126

$297 ₫7.7M

-43.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 ¥4,064

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-53.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ¥1,981

$727 ₫18.8M

-59.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 ¥18.0K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-43.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 ¥10.6K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$927 ¥6,199

$490 ₫12.7M

89.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

-65.28%

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

Last update for Lanzhou: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lanzhou

$211 29.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 1.4% $3

Accommodation & Living

Lanzhou

$168 23.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 76.1% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Lanzhou

$102 14.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 21.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lanzhou

$78 11%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 53.4% $42

Eating Out

Lanzhou

$76 10.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 14.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lanzhou

$54 7.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 37.7% $20

Getting Around

Lanzhou

$22 3.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 26.9% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $305 in Lanzhou and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Lanzhou vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $208 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

1 h behind Lanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,688,400

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lanzhou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lanzhou
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

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

Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Lanzhou, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $305 in Lanzhou versus $582 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 $712 per month in Lanzhou versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lanzhou runs roughly 57% 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 $712 in Lanzhou versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lanzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $712 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lanzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou 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.