Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanya: $776 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sanya
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Sanya 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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Sanya

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $761 in Sanya versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Sanya $761
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,235 in Sanya versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Sanya $1,235
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,708 in Sanya versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Sanya $1,708
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Sanya costs roughly 11% 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: Sanya 44% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 ¥22.29

$1.98 ₫51.3K

68.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥149

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 ¥41.37

$4.76 ₫123.2K

30.04%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ¥14.37

$1.86 ₫48.1K

15.59%

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

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.51 ₫13.3K

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.32 ₫8,191

34.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.03 ₫26.7K

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.71 ₫44.4K

1.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ¥14.33

$1.58 ₫40.8K

35.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ¥9.12

$1.09 ₫28.3K

24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$1.05 ₫27.2K

45.71%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.21

$1.64 ₫42.6K

2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.02 ¥154

$12.33 ₫319.2K

86.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 ¥30.59

$3.58 ₫92.6K

27.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 ¥76.6

$10.56 ₫273.3K

8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-23.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$1.26 ₫32.7K

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 ¥16.44

$1.62 ₫42.0K

51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.31

$1.31 ₫33.8K

51.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-24.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.56 ₫14.6K

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.42

$1.28 ₫33.0K

185.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-38.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.69

$1.48 ₫38.3K

8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.26 ₫6,704

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.12 ¥121

$11.43 ₫296.0K

58.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$0.68 ₫17.7K

114.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-43.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 ¥50.2

$3.00 ₫77.7K

150.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$0.91 ₫23.5K

37.36%

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

$22.0K ¥147.2K

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-27.96%

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

$17.2K ¥114.9K

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-41.45%

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

$56.0 ¥374

$104 ₫2.7M

-46.03%

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

$6.60 ¥44.16

$5.79 ₫149.9K

13.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.41 ¥29.52

$10.48 ₫271.3K

-57.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 ¥273

$26.08 ₫675.1K

56.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 ¥99.6

$11.90 ₫308.1K

25.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥41.80

$3.89 ₫100.7K

60.67%

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

$403 ¥2,695

$440 ₫11.4M

-8.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥113.9K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-29.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.83 ¥293

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.64 ¥225

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 ¥492

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 ¥574

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,994

$582 ₫15.1M

-48.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,276

$297 ₫7.7M

-35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,173

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-51.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ¥2,547

$727 ₫18.8M

-47.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 ¥22.7K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-29.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 ¥13.0K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

5.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$903 ¥6,038

$490 ₫12.7M

84.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

8.64

-61.11%

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

Last update for Sanya: 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

Sanya

$251 32.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 17.2% $43

Accommodation & Living

Sanya

$191 24.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 55.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Sanya

$107 13.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 15.9% $17

Eating Out

Sanya

$85 10.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 24.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanya

$67 8.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 79.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Sanya

$53 6.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 36.6% $20

Getting Around

Sanya

$23 2.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 27.9% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Sanya and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sanya pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Sanya vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Sanya

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

16:58 4:58 PM

1 h behind Sanya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,031,396

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

Sanya Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sanya
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

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

Sanya wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sanya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Sanya, 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: $304 in Sanya 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 $761 per month in Sanya versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sanya runs roughly 56% 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 $761 in Sanya versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanya but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Sanya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sanya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $761 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sanya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sanya 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 Sanya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.