Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Taizhou: $774 a month against $859 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 Taizhou
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Taizhou 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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Taizhou

🇨🇳 China

$774

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Taizhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taizhou $774
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,257 in Taizhou versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taizhou $1,257
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,740 in Taizhou versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Taizhou $1,740
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Taizhou costs roughly 10% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taizhou 43% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 ¥24.42

$1.91 ₫49.6K

91.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.57 ¥171

$22.84 ₫591.4K

11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ¥30.17

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ¥23.23

$1.85 ₫48.0K

87.57%

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

$0.54 ¥3.59

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.32 ₫8,187

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.24

$1.06 ₫27.5K

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.78

$1.72 ₫44.5K

28.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.18

$1.66 ₫42.9K

9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.82

$1.11 ₫28.7K

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-46.00%

Eggs

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.67 ₫43.2K

-26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.41 ¥130

$12.08 ₫312.9K

60.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ¥25.50

$3.68 ₫95.2K

3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 ¥68.7

$10.24 ₫265.2K

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.00

$2.96 ₫76.6K

-59.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.03

$1.24 ₫32.2K

8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.73

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$1.30 ₫33.6K

19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$1.23 ₫31.9K

-34.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.51

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.52

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥27.00

$1.24 ₫32.2K

225.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 ¥88.7

$12.60 ₫326.2K

5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.53 ₫39.6K

13.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.26 ₫6,696

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.77 ¥132

$11.51 ₫298.0K

71.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.89

$0.75 ₫19.5K

57.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-46.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 ¥49.16

$3.03 ₫78.5K

142.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.50

$0.96 ₫24.8K

32.29%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$31.1K ₫804.4M

-37.48%

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

$16.3K ¥108.7K

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-46.46%

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

$48.17 ¥322

$102 ₫2.6M

-52.77%

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

$8.88 ¥59.4

$5.89 ₫152.6K

50.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.36 ¥76.0

$10.49 ₫271.7K

8.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.64 ¥285

$25.54 ₫661.3K

66.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 ¥109

$11.92 ₫308.6K

37.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ¥50.7

$3.53 ₫91.4K

114.45%

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

$574 ¥3,841

$436 ₫11.3M

31.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K ¥245.3K

$23.3K ₫602.9M

57.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.68 ¥219

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-38.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 ¥280

$34.15 ₫884.3K

22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 ¥575

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥730

$95.0 ₫2.5M

14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ¥1,983

$589 ₫15.3M

-49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,209

$298 ₫7.7M

-39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥4,675

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-45.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,519

$711 ₫18.4M

-47.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,544 ¥23.7K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,971 ¥13.2K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

3.55%

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 Taizhou: October 11, 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

Taizhou

$223 28.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 7.1% $16

Accommodation & Living

Taizhou

$181 23.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 64.7% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Taizhou

$121 15.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 0.9% $1.1

Eating Out

Taizhou

$98 12.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 35.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taizhou

$68 8.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 73% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Taizhou

$58 7.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 43.6% $25

Getting Around

Taizhou

$24 3.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 30.5% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in Taizhou and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Taizhou vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taizhou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

1 h behind Taizhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

615,000

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

Taizhou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Taizhou
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

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

Taizhou wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taizhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,161 in Taizhou 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: $297 in Taizhou 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 $774 per month in Taizhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taizhou runs roughly 72% 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 $774 in Taizhou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taizhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Taizhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taizhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $774 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taizhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Taizhou 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 Taizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.