Popular cities
Bali vs Ho Chi Minh City cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bali
๐ป๐ณ Ho Chi Minh City
At a glance
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (59%โ), Beer (46%โ), Cocktail & wine (38%โ)
- Where Bali is clearly cheaper: Massage (35%โ), Scooter rental (19%โ), Taxi (19%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Bali 2 vs Ho Chi Minh City 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bali | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Bali โ6% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Bali โ8% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 175,000$10.7 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ23% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 120,000$7.36 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ38% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Bali โ10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Bali โ19% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ17% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 4,000$0.25 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Bali โ8% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 75,000$4.6 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Bali โ19% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ23% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 10,000,000$613 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ38% |
| Laundry | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Bali โ19% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ17% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 60,000$3.68 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Bali โ35% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 500,000$30.7 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 75,000$4.6 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ59% |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bali or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is 26% cheaper than Bali. Daily budget $78.6 vs $68; a month $2,107 vs $1,302.
Which is easier to travel, Bali or Ho Chi Minh City?
About the same: Bali 3.0/5, Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bali and Ho Chi Minh City?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bali is about $2,107 and Ho Chi Minh City about $1,302 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.