Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Ho Chi Minh City is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Abidjan 3 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Abidjan | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | CFA 3,000$5.19 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Street food1 item | CFA 1,000$1.73 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | CFA 15,000$25.9 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ59% |
| Coffeeone cup | CFA 2,500$4.32 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Beerone bottle | CFA 1,500$2.59 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ49% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | CFA 5,000$8.65 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ47% |
| Bottled water | CFA 300$0.52 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Ho Chi Minh City โ34% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | CFA 500$0.86 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ34% |
| Taxi5 km in town | CFA 3,000$5.19 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Ho Chi Minh City โ49% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | CFA 1,000$1.73 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Transitone ride | CFA 300$0.52 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ49% |
| Scooter rentalper day | CFA 15,000$25.9 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ78% |
| Hotel night3-star | CFA 45,000$77.8 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ51% |
| Studio rent (month) | CFA 250,000$432 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ12% |
| Laundry | CFA 1,000$1.73 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ34% |
| SIM card1 week data | CFA 6,000$10.4 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ27% |
| Haircutcut | CFA 3,000$5.19 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ27% |
| Massage1 hour | CFA 20,000$34.6 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ67% |
| Half-day tourper person | CFA 15,000$25.9 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | CFA 2,000$3.46 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ45% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Ho Chi Minh City is 43% cheaper than Abidjan. Daily budget $146 vs $68; a month $1,935 vs $1,302.
Ho Chi Minh City is easier: Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 vs Abidjan 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Abidjan is about $1,935 and Ho Chi Minh City about $1,302 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.