Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $707 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $707
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,185
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,663 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,663
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu costs roughly 18% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 48% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 ¥25.64

$1.91 ₫49.6K

100.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.02 ¥174

$22.84 ₫591.4K

13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.57 ¥30.58

$4.54 ₫117.6K

0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ¥21.21

$1.85 ₫48.0K

71.35%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.04

$0.32 ₫8,187

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$1.72 ₫44.5K

-14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.98

$1.66 ₫42.9K

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$1.11 ₫28.7K

6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-13.00%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥13.85

$1.67 ₫43.2K

23.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ¥131

$12.08 ₫312.9K

61.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ¥24.70

$3.68 ₫95.2K

0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 ¥41.17

$10.24 ₫265.2K

-39.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ¥15.56

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-21.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.25

$1.24 ₫32.2K

11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-5.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.30 ₫33.6K

0.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.79

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-29.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.77

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-25.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.18

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-16.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ¥23.90

$1.24 ₫32.2K

187.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 ¥89.3

$12.60 ₫326.2K

6.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.01

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.26 ₫6,696

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.88 ¥133

$11.51 ₫298.0K

72.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ¥13.20

$0.75 ₫19.5K

162.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-43.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.00

$3.03 ₫78.5K

132.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.12

$0.96 ₫24.8K

26.04%

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

$18.1K ¥121.2K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-41.65%

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

$17.9K ¥119.7K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-41.03%

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

$18.76 ¥125

$102 ₫2.6M

-81.60%

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

$10.11 ¥67.6

$5.89 ₫152.6K

71.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥74.0

$10.49 ₫271.7K

5.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 ¥407

$25.54 ₫661.3K

138.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 ¥109

$11.92 ₫308.6K

37.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 ¥49.80

$3.53 ₫91.4K

111.05%

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

$301 ¥2,015

$436 ₫11.3M

-30.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

-23.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 ¥301

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-14.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 ¥277

$34.15 ₫884.3K

21.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥404

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 ¥392

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-38.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$256 ¥1,715

$589 ₫15.3M

-56.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥1,105

$298 ₫7.7M

-44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 ¥4,217

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-51.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,535

$711 ₫18.4M

-46.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 ¥19.5K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-37.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,953 ¥13.1K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

2.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

8.64

-59.49%

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

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 13, 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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$216 30.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 4.1% $8.8

Accommodation & Living

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$165 23.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 80.3% $133

Eating Out

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$93 13.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 31.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$92 13.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 32.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$76 10.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 56.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$40 5.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 196% $78

Getting Around

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$25 3.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 33.4% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $256 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

1 h behind Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

831,113

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

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Between locations

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,061 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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: $256 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 $707 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu runs roughly 73% 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 $707 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $707 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.