Cost of living comparison

compared to

China vs. Ho Chi Minh City Cost of Living Summary

China is 15.2% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City.

Restaurants
pay 18.3% more in China
Groceries
pay 1.5% more in China
Transportation
pay 9.1% more in China
Housing
pay 24.9% less in China
Childcare
pay 29.9% more in China
Entertainment and Sports
pay 78.4% more in China
Clothing
pay 6.0% less in China

The cost of entertainment and sports, childcare, restaurants, transportation, and groceries in China are more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City. Expenses including housing and clothing are lower in China. Notably, entertainment and sports is significantly more expensive in China.

China vs. Ho Chi Minh City Cost Breakdown

If you lived in China instead of Ho Chi Minh City, you would:

pay 18.3% more for restaurants

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant $1.89
₫49,842
$2.90
CN¥20.40
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
$3.79
₫99,684
$5.02
CN¥35.32
Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) $0.49
₫12,819
$0.47
CN¥3.34

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pay 1.5% more for groceries

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Bread
1 loaf
$0.97
₫25,586
$1.63
CN¥11.46
Local cheese (8 oz) $5.67
₫149,215
$6.32
CN¥44.49
Milk (1 gallon) $5.38
₫141,676
$6.70
CN¥47.21

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pay 9.1% more for transportation

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Gasoline (1 gallon) $3.17
₫83,423
$4.34
CN¥30.53
Monthly public transit pass $11.36
₫299,053
$20.32
CN¥143.09
New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) $37,122.40
₫976,905,263
$19,143.98
CN¥134,794.71

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pay 24.9% less for housing

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
$9.41
₫247,579
$11.18
CN¥78.70
1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area $543.38
₫14,299,439
$304.90
CN¥2,146.80
1-Bedroom apartment outside city center $306.83
₫8,074,421
$195.65
CN¥1,377.56

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pay 29.9% more for childcare

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Private preschool for 1 child, monthly $263.06
₫6,922,515
$390.25
CN¥2,747.78
Middle school for 1 child, two semesters $13,892.02
₫365,579,382
$15,493.57
CN¥109,091.78

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pay 78.4% more for entertainment and sports

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Domestic/local beer (1 pint) $1.06
₫27,912
$1.04
CN¥7.33
Cappuccino in mid-range area $1.81
₫47,745
$2.84
CN¥19.97
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
$1.25
₫32,896
$3.36
CN¥23.65

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pay 6.0% less for clothing

 
Ho Chi Minh City
China
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
$44.83
₫1,179,792
$45.93
CN¥323.38
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
$29.40
₫773,742
$30.93
CN¥217.79
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
$93.29
₫2,455,006
$71.26
CN¥501.74

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The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
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