Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $679 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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 Quzhou
Learn more

Quzhou 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

Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$679

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $679 in Quzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Quzhou $679
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Quzhou versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Quzhou $1,133
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,586 in Quzhou versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Quzhou $1,586
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Quzhou costs roughly 21% 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: Quzhou 50% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.88 ¥19.27

$1.91 ₫49.6K

50.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.36 ¥203

$22.84 ₫591.4K

32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ¥30.22

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-0.44%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.27

$1.85 ₫48.0K

88.11%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.32 ₫8,187

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$1.06 ₫27.5K

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ¥21.99

$1.72 ₫44.5K

91.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.79

$1.66 ₫42.9K

6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.46

$1.11 ₫28.7K

0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.52

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-32.00%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.67 ₫43.2K

-2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 ¥101

$12.08 ₫312.9K

25.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.26

$3.68 ₫95.2K

2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$10.24 ₫265.2K

-13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-63.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.46

$1.24 ₫32.2K

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.02

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-52.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-38.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.34

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 ¥29.22

$1.24 ₫32.2K

252.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 ¥54.1

$12.60 ₫326.2K

-35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.01

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.26 ₫6,696

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.07 ¥107

$11.51 ₫298.0K

39.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$0.75 ₫19.5K

136.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-44.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 ¥47.80

$3.03 ₫78.5K

135.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.96 ₫24.8K

32.29%

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

$19.1K ¥127.4K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-38.66%

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

$18.2K ¥121.9K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-39.98%

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

$52.0 ¥347

$102 ₫2.6M

-49.06%

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

$6.82 ¥45.58

$5.89 ₫152.6K

15.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.09 ¥54.1

$10.49 ₫271.7K

-22.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 ¥253

$25.54 ₫661.3K

48.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 ¥93.2

$11.92 ₫308.6K

16.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ¥51.8

$3.53 ₫91.4K

119.26%

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

$418 ¥2,798

$436 ₫11.3M

-4.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ¥104.5K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

-32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 ¥416

$52.8 ₫1.4M

17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 ¥182

$34.15 ₫884.3K

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ¥408

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-32.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 ¥345

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-45.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ¥1,915

$589 ₫15.3M

-51.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,087

$298 ₫7.7M

-45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ¥4,788

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ¥2,458

$711 ₫18.4M

-48.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,840 ¥25.7K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-17.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 ¥11.6K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-8.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 ¥4,615

$490 ₫12.7M

40.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

8.64

-63.19%

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

Last update for Quzhou: October 10, 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

Quzhou

$191 28.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 8.5% $16

Accommodation & Living

Quzhou

$163 23.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 83.2% $135

Eating Out

Quzhou

$93 13.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 32.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Quzhou

$91 13.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 34.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quzhou

$67 9.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 77.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Quzhou

$53 7.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 38.8% $21

Getting Around

Quzhou

$21 3.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 20.2% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Quzhou and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quzhou pays 41% 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 Quzhou vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $191 vs $207, with Quzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

1 h behind Quzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,122,661

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

Quzhou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quzhou
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

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

Quzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Quzhou, 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: $286 in Quzhou 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 $679 per month in Quzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quzhou runs roughly 40% 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 $679 in Quzhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quzhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Quzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $679 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Quzhou 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 Quzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.