Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rizhao: $667 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Rizhao
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Rizhao 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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Rizhao

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Rizhao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Rizhao $667
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Rizhao versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Rizhao $1,077
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Rizhao versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Rizhao $1,487
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Rizhao costs roughly 22% 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: Rizhao 51% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 ¥16.95

$1.91 ₫49.6K

32.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 ¥128

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.21

$4.54 ₫117.6K

6.17%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ¥13.05

$1.85 ₫48.0K

5.41%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.32 ₫8,185

-28.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥13.21

$1.72 ₫44.5K

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥9.87

$1.11 ₫28.7K

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-54.00%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.14

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-35.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ¥22.32

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-9.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.9

$10.24 ₫265.1K

10.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-50.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.81

$1.24 ₫32.2K

-17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-50.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.65

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-12.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-52.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.57

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-40.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.56 ₫14.4K

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$1.24 ₫32.1K

195.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 ¥66.8

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.81

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.08

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.26 ₫6,694

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.44 ¥117

$11.51 ₫297.9K

51.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$0.75 ₫19.5K

64.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ¥1.67

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-62.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 ¥30.21

$3.03 ₫78.5K

49.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥7.92

$0.96 ₫24.8K

23.96%

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

$19.1K ¥127.6K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-38.56%

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

$14.8K ¥99.1K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-51.18%

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

$73.5 ¥491

$102 ₫2.6M

-27.93%

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

$6.63 ¥44.30

$5.89 ₫152.5K

12.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.18 ¥34.65

$10.49 ₫271.6K

-50.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 ¥244

$25.54 ₫661.2K

42.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$11.92 ₫308.5K

11.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ¥35.87

$3.53 ₫91.3K

51.84%

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

$218 ¥1,458

$436 ₫11.3M

-50.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-14.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.08 ¥228

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-35.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.15 ¥289

$34.15 ₫884.1K

26.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥476

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-21.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ¥464

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-26.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥1,999

$589 ₫15.3M

-49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,090

$298 ₫7.7M

-45.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-51.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,505

$711 ₫18.4M

-47.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,578 ¥23.9K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-23.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,144 ¥14.3K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

12.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

8.64

-63.77%

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

Last update for Rizhao: October 12, 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

Rizhao

$183 27.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 13.3% $24

Accommodation & Living

Rizhao

$163 24.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 82.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Rizhao

$98 14.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 24.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rizhao

$85 12.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 38.7% $33

Eating Out

Rizhao

$69 10.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 8.4% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rizhao

$47 7.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 31% $15

Getting Around

Rizhao

$21 3.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 21% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $299 in Rizhao and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Rizhao vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $207 per month, with Rizhao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Rizhao

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

1 h behind Rizhao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,143,000

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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Between locations

Rizhao Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rizhao
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

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

Rizhao wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rizhao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,000 in Rizhao and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $299 in Rizhao 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 $667 per month in Rizhao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rizhao runs roughly 52% 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 $667 in Rizhao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rizhao delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $667 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rizhao hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.