Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangzhou: $716 a month against $862 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 Zhangzhou
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Zhangzhou 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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Zhangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $716 in Zhangzhou versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zhangzhou $716
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Zhangzhou versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zhangzhou $1,132
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,547 in Zhangzhou versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zhangzhou $1,547
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Zhangzhou costs roughly 17% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhangzhou 47% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.35

$1.98 ₫51.3K

38.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.73 ¥145

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-6.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 ¥32.11

$4.76 ₫123.2K

0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥20.39

$1.86 ₫48.1K

63.98%

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

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$0.32 ₫8,191

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 ¥6.01

$1.03 ₫26.7K

-12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.75

$1.71 ₫44.4K

20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.13

$1.58 ₫40.8K

14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.65

$1.09 ₫28.3K

45.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ¥84.1

$12.33 ₫319.2K

2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.08

$3.58 ₫92.6K

-12.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 ¥67.8

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.45

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.62 ₫42.0K

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-38.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.14 ₫29.6K

-20.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-24.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.56 ₫14.6K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ¥20.49

$1.28 ₫33.0K

139.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-23.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.48 ₫38.3K

6.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.26 ₫6,704

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.89 ¥113

$11.43 ₫296.0K

47.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$0.68 ₫17.7K

107.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.17

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 ¥43.79

$3.00 ₫77.7K

118.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$0.91 ₫23.5K

23.08%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-37.44%

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

$17.2K ¥115.3K

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-41.28%

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

$45.55 ¥305

$104 ₫2.7M

-56.10%

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

$9.74 ¥65.1

$5.79 ₫149.9K

68.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.81 ¥79.0

$10.48 ₫271.3K

12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 ¥275

$26.08 ₫675.1K

57.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.66 ¥91.4

$11.90 ₫308.1K

14.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 ¥39.75

$3.89 ₫100.7K

52.70%

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

$337 ¥2,251

$440 ₫11.4M

-23.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.4K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-30.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.23 ¥289

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-15.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.11 ¥201

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-14.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥476

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.8 ¥487

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-24.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,886

$582 ₫15.1M

-51.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,308

$297 ₫7.7M

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ¥3,902

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,411

$727 ₫18.8M

-50.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,977 ¥19.9K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-37.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,003 ¥13.4K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

8.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

8.64

-54.98%

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

Last update for Zhangzhou: October 19, 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

Zhangzhou

$197 27.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 5.4% $11

Accommodation & Living

Zhangzhou

$196 27.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 51.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangzhou

$98 13.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 26.4% $26

Eating Out

Zhangzhou

$85 11.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 23.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangzhou

$67 9.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 78.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangzhou

$53 7.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 36.2% $19

Getting Around

Zhangzhou

$21 2.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 22.9% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Zhangzhou and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Zhangzhou vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $208 per month, with Zhangzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangzhou

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

05:58 5:58 AM

1 h behind Zhangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,809,983

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 →

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Between locations

Zhangzhou Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhangzhou
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

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

Zhangzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhangzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,074 in Zhangzhou and $1,294 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: $282 in Zhangzhou versus $582 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 $716 per month in Zhangzhou versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhangzhou runs roughly 48% 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 $716 in Zhangzhou versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhangzhou but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zhangzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhangzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhangzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.