Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rui'an and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Rui'an: $715 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Rui'an
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Rui'an 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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Rui'an

🇨🇳 China

$715

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Rui'an versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Rui'an $715
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,141 in Rui'an versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Rui'an $1,141
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in Rui'an versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Rui'an $1,566
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Rui'an costs roughly 16% 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: Rui'an 47% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.11

$1.90 ₫49.2K

50.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.28 ¥142

$23.32 ₫604.8K

-8.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 ¥32.00

$4.67 ₫121.2K

2.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.85

$1.85 ₫48.0K

60.54%

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

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.34 ₫8,875

-20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.85

$1.01 ₫26.2K

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.61

$1.69 ₫43.8K

20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.53

$1.58 ₫40.9K

18.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.77

$1.04 ₫27.1K

54.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.41

$0.99 ₫25.7K

-3.03%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.32

$1.60 ₫41.6K

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 ¥86.1

$12.23 ₫317.3K

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ¥20.72

$3.54 ₫91.9K

-12.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 ¥68.7

$10.44 ₫270.8K

-1.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$3.09 ₫80.1K

-41.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.01

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.95

$1.57 ₫40.6K

-5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-12.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$1.17 ₫30.4K

-35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.77

$0.72 ₫18.8K

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.54 ₫14.0K

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ¥20.85

$1.22 ₫31.6K

155.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 ¥70.9

$12.28 ₫318.5K

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.96

$0.98 ₫25.5K

-24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.57

$1.49 ₫38.6K

6.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$0.28 ₫7,264

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.92 ¥113

$11.62 ₫301.5K

45.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$0.73 ₫19.0K

94.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 ¥44.88

$3.17 ₫82.2K

111.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.56

$0.95 ₫24.7K

18.95%

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

$19.7K ¥132.0K

$30.7K ₫797.2M

-35.77%

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

$17.4K ¥116.0K

$30.6K ₫793.2M

-43.25%

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

$45.23 ¥302

$102 ₫2.7M

-55.79%

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

$9.67 ¥64.6

$5.65 ₫146.4K

71.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$10.52 ₫272.8K

12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 ¥280

$25.86 ₫670.6K

61.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.75 ¥91.9

$11.82 ₫306.6K

16.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 ¥38.46

$3.39 ₫88.0K

69.91%

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

$329 ¥2,199

$438 ₫11.4M

-24.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ¥110.7K

$23.3K ₫604.4M

-28.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.49 ¥291

$51.5 ₫1.3M

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$34.56 ₫896.2K

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥481

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-21.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 ¥485

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,874

$577 ₫15.0M

-51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ¥1,301

$292 ₫7.6M

-33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,941

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-54.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,364

$717 ₫18.6M

-50.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 ¥20.4K

$4,714 ₫122.2M

-35.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 ¥13.3K

$1,882 ₫48.8M

6.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

8.64

-54.98%

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

Last update for Rui'an: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rui'an

$198 27.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 3.9% $7.6

Accommodation & Living

Rui'an

$195 27.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 50.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Rui'an

$98 13.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 24.8% $24

Eating Out

Rui'an

$84 11.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 24.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rui'an

$67 9.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 77.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Rui'an

$53 7.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 38.9% $21

Getting Around

Rui'an

$21 3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 21.2% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Rui'an and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Rui'an vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $206 per month, with Rui'an cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Rui'an

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

1 h behind Rui'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,600

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 = 3.44 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rui'an Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rui'an
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

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

Rui'an wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rui'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,072 in Rui'an and $1,283 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: $280 in Rui'an versus $577 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 $715 per month in Rui'an versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rui'an runs roughly 46% 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 $715 in Rui'an versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rui'an but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Rui'an the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rui'an delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $715 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rui'an hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rui'an 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 Rui'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.