GeoRealityMatch
Tranquil reflection of traditional architecture and bridge in Beihai Park, Beijing.China
Peaceful view of Hoan Kiem Lake with Turtle Tower in Hanoi, Vietnam with city skyline.Vietnam

Compare countries · China vs Vietnam

China vs Vietnam

ChinaEastern AsiaVietnamSouth-Eastern Asia

Vietnam is cheaper (cost of living 26.4 vs 30.5) and more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.738 vs 2.231).China scores higher on human development (0.797 vs 0.766), has the higher income per person ($14,230 vs $4,970) and has the longer life expectancy (78.0 vs 74.7 years).

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Safety

Vietnam is the more peaceful

Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
China2.231Medium safety#117 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Vietnam1.738High safety#41 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
China0.5Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2020
VietnamNo figure from UNODC / World Bank
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
China76.9Very highNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam59.9ModerateNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
ChinaNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-12
VietnamNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-12
Money

Income per person is higher in China

GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
China$14,230HighWorld Bank · 2025
Vietnam$4,970LowWorld Bank · 2025
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
China30.5Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam26.4Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
China10.4AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam9.9AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
China21.5Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam30.2Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Health

People live longer in China

Life expectancyyears, at birth
China78.0High#54 of 195World Bank · 2024
Vietnam74.7Moderate#92 of 195World Bank · 2024
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
China85Very highWHO · 2023
Vietnam71ModerateWHO · 2023
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
China31.6Very highWHO · 2023
Vietnam22.8HighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in Vietnam

Fixed broadbandmedian download speed
China212 MbpsVery fast#27 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
Vietnam289 MbpsVery fast#7 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
China464LowEF EPI · 2025
Vietnam500ModerateEF EPI · 2025
How it changed

Human development: China 0.797, Vietnam 0.766

ChinaVietnam

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:ChinaVietnam

Practical facts

Capital
Beijing
Hanoi
Population
1.41B (2025)
101.6M (2025)
Languages
Chinese
Vietnamese
Currency
Chinese yuan (CNY)
Vietnamese đồng (VND)
Area
9,388,210 km²
313,429 km²
Plug type
Type A/I
Type A/B/C
Drives on the
right
right
Short visit
Visa-free for EU; visa needed for UK and US
Visa-free for UK and EU; visa needed for US

Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.

Every figure

China and Vietnam, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is China cheaper than Vietnam?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts China at 30.5 and Vietnam at 26.4. Vietnam is about 13% cheaper overall.

Is China or Vietnam safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), China scores 2.23 and Vietnam scores 1.74. Vietnam ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

Which has the higher quality of life, China or Vietnam?

On the UN Human Development Index, China scores 0.797 and Vietnam scores 0.766. China scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.

What is life like in China compared to Vietnam?

GNI per capita runs $14,230 in China against $4,970 in Vietnam; people live 78.0 years on average against 74.7; Numbeo users rate healthcare 69 against 62. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.

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Every figure is sourced where it is shown. A dash means the country has no figure from that source.Photographs by zhang kaiyv, 🇻🇳🇻🇳 Việt Anh Nguyễn 🇻🇳🇻🇳 on Pexels