Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,143 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Taichung despite lower rent and utilities.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung 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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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Taichung versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taichung $1,143
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Taichung versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taichung $1,887
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,631 in Taichung versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taichung $2,631
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Taichung is roughly 34% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 15% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$1.90 ₫49.1K

146.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$23.32 ₫603.5K

37.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$4.67 ₫120.9K

3.85%

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$1.85 ₫47.9K

48.65%

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

$1.03 NT$32.80

$0.56 ₫14.4K

83.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$0.34 ₫8,857

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

$1.01 ₫26.2K

54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

$1.69 ₫43.7K

64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$1.58 ₫40.8K

106.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$1.04 ₫27.0K

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$0.99 ₫25.7K

168.69%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$1.60 ₫41.5K

63.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$12.23 ₫316.6K

139.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$3.54 ₫91.7K

129.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$10.44 ₫270.2K

64.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$3.09 ₫79.9K

36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$1.26 ₫32.5K

52.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$1.57 ₫40.6K

90.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$1.26 ₫32.5K

70.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$1.17 ₫30.4K

2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$1.15 ₫29.7K

71.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$0.72 ₫18.7K

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$0.54 ₫14.0K

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$1.22 ₫31.5K

207.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

$12.28 ₫317.8K

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

$0.98 ₫25.4K

67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

$1.49 ₫38.5K

65.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$0.28 ₫7,249

157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$11.62 ₫300.8K

175.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$0.73 ₫18.9K

269.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$0.64 ₫16.7K

43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$3.17 ₫82.0K

203.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$0.95 ₫24.6K

8.42%

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

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$30.7K ₫795.6M

7.45%

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

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

-25.62%

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

$127 NT$4,037

$102 ₫2.6M

23.67%

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

$14.84 NT$474

$5.65 ₫146.1K

162.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$10.52 ₫272.2K

99.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$25.86 ₫669.2K

27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$11.82 ₫305.9K

-1.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$3.39 ₫87.8K

195.58%

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

$347 NT$11.1K

$438 ₫11.3M

-20.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-27.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$51.5 ₫1.3M

40.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$34.56 ₫894.3K

3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-6.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$94.9 ₫2.5M

23.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$577 ₫14.9M

-31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$292 ₫7.6M

-6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-5.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$717 ₫18.6M

8.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

83.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$1,882 ₫48.7M

185.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$486 ₫12.6M

194.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

8.64

-73.73%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 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

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 45.8% $173

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 27% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 12.4% $17

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 39.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 38.4% $20

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 60.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Taichung and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 195% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Taichung vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

1 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

9,456,700

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Taichung Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Taichung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 195% higher in Taichung, 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: $396 in Taichung 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 $1,143 per month in Taichung versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 175% less than in Taichung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,143 in Taichung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Taichung 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.