Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiakou: $776 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.

38

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiakou
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Zhangjiakou 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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Zhangjiakou

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Zhangjiakou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zhangjiakou $776
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Zhangjiakou versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zhangjiakou $1,216
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,656 in Zhangjiakou versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zhangjiakou $1,656
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Zhangjiakou 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: Zhangjiakou 42% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 ¥14.72

$1.91 ₫49.5K

15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.17 ¥161

$22.84 ₫590.9K

5.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 ¥40.41

$4.54 ₫117.5K

33.26%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.50

$1.85 ₫48.0K

90.27%

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

$0.51 ¥3.42

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.72

$0.32 ₫8,180

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.30

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.72 ₫44.5K

2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥9.61

$1.66 ₫42.8K

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ¥15.42

$1.11 ₫28.6K

108.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.00 ₫25.9K

6.00%

Eggs

$1.02 ¥6.81

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 ¥99.0

$12.08 ₫312.6K

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$3.68 ₫95.1K

-20.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 ¥62.6

$10.24 ₫264.9K

-8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-45.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.24 ₫32.1K

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$1.56 ₫40.3K

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.30 ₫33.5K

-5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.34

$1.23 ₫31.8K

-34.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.86

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.79

$0.56 ₫14.4K

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.63

$1.24 ₫32.1K

209.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ¥90.0

$12.60 ₫325.9K

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ¥7.18

$0.96 ₫24.9K

11.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 ¥16.34

$1.53 ₫39.5K

60.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.26 ₫6,690

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.91 ¥120

$11.51 ₫297.7K

55.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ¥7.18

$0.75 ₫19.5K

42.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.16

$0.67 ₫17.3K

-52.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 ¥41.07

$3.03 ₫78.5K

102.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$0.96 ₫24.8K

26.04%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$31.1K ₫803.8M

-36.77%

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

$17.5K ¥116.8K

$30.4K ₫785.4M

-42.43%

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

$93.0 ¥622

$102 ₫2.6M

-8.77%

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

$6.24 ¥41.69

$5.89 ₫152.4K

5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.62 ¥50.9

$10.49 ₫271.5K

-27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ¥276

$25.54 ₫660.8K

61.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.92 ¥99.7

$11.92 ₫308.3K

25.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ¥50.3

$3.53 ₫91.3K

113.31%

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

$342 ¥2,288

$436 ₫11.3M

-21.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,359 ¥35.8K

$23.3K ₫602.4M

-76.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.47 ¥297

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-15.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.44 ¥190

$34.15 ₫883.6K

-16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 ¥659

$90.3 ₫2.3M

9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.5 ¥404

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,029

$589 ₫15.3M

-48.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 ¥1,242

$298 ₫7.7M

-37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥4,175

$1,292 ₫33.4M

-51.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ¥2,470

$711 ₫18.4M

-47.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.5K

$4,676 ₫121.0M

-18.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,933 ¥12.9K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

1.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 ¥2,643

$490 ₫12.7M

-19.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

8.64

-59.03%

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

Last update for Zhangjiakou: 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

Zhangjiakou

$212 27.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 2.1% $4.5

Accommodation & Living

Zhangjiakou

$186 23.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 60.2% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangjiakou

$107 13.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 10.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangjiakou

$104 13.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 17.3% $18

Eating Out

Zhangjiakou

$89 11.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 28.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangjiakou

$56 7.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 42.2% $24

Getting Around

Zhangjiakou

$22 2.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 23.8% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 24% 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: $24.00 in Zhangjiakou vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangjiakou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

1 h behind Zhangjiakou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,345,491

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 = 3.87 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 25,872 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 29,017 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zhangjiakou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zhangjiakou
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

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

Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $304 in Zhangjiakou 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 $776 per month in Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou 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 $776 in Zhangjiakou versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhangjiakou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiakou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhangjiakou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $776 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhangjiakou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou 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.