Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyan: $462 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Longyan
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Longyan 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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Longyan

🇨🇳 China

$462

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $462 in Longyan versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Longyan $462
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Longyan versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Longyan $750
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,038 in Longyan versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Longyan $1,038
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Longyan costs roughly 46% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Longyan 66% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ¥19.74

$1.98 ₫51.3K

48.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.57 ¥151

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.19

$4.76 ₫123.2K

4.20%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ¥14.72

$1.86 ₫48.1K

18.28%

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

$0.44 ¥2.94

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.32 ₫8,191

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$1.03 ₫26.7K

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.68

$1.71 ₫44.4K

-6.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.90

$1.58 ₫40.8K

31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.09 ₫28.3K

30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-25.71%

Eggs

$1.48 ¥9.90

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 ¥51.0

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-38.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.18 ¥14.61

$3.58 ₫92.6K

-39.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 ¥60.1

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-14.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.63

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.95

$1.26 ₫32.7K

6.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.83

$1.62 ₫42.0K

9.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-14.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-25.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-11.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥22.85

$1.28 ₫33.0K

167.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 ¥81.3

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.21

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ¥7.89

$1.48 ₫38.3K

-20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ¥1.08

$0.26 ₫6,704

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$0.68 ₫17.7K

55.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 ¥50.6

$3.00 ₫77.7K

152.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$0.91 ₫23.5K

43.96%

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

$19.3K ¥129.1K

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-36.84%

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

$15.6K ¥104.3K

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-46.89%

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

$66.3 ¥443

$104 ₫2.7M

-36.10%

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

$15.68 ¥105

$5.79 ₫149.9K

170.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.86 ¥59.3

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.40 ¥29.44

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-63.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 ¥50.9

$3.89 ₫100.7K

95.63%

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

$213 ¥1,425

$440 ₫11.4M

-51.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ¥78.4K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-51.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.86 ¥200

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.92 ¥99.8

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-57.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥508

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-17.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ¥658

$96.5 ₫2.5M

1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,518

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-70.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,338 ¥8,949

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-27.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ¥3,243

$490 ₫12.7M

-1.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.64

-59.95%

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

Last update for Longyan: 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

Longyan

$178 38.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 16.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Longyan

$99 21.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 25.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Longyan

$91 19.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 32.1% $29

Eating Out

Longyan

$75 16.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 14.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Longyan

$15 * 3.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 123% $19

Getting Around

Longyan

$4 * 0.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 303% $12

Accommodation & Living

Longyan

- * 0%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 1% 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: $23.00 in Longyan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $208 per month, with Longyan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Longyan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h behind Longyan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,559,545

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 23, 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 23, 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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Between locations

Longyan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Longyan
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

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

Longyan wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Longyan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $462 per month in Longyan versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $462 in Longyan versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Longyan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Longyan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Longyan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $462 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Longyan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Longyan 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 Longyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.