Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Bandung is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bandung 3 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bandung | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Bandung โ19% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Bandung โ31% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 120,000$7.36 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Bandung โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ11% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ57% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 80,000$4.91 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ7% |
| Bottled water | Rp 4,000$0.25 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Bandung โ28% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 7,000$0.43 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Bandung โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 28,000$1.72 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Bandung โ35% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 12,000$0.74 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | similar |
| Transitone ride | Rp 5,000$0.31 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 85,000$5.21 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Bandung โ9% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 500,000$30.7 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Bandung โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 3,500,000$215 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Bandung โ44% |
| Laundry | Rp 8,000$0.49 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Bandung โ57% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 75,000$4.6 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Bandung โ39% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Bandung โ35% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 130,000$7.98 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Bandung โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 400,000$24.5 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 81,000$4.97 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ62% |
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%+.
Bandung is 29% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City. Daily budget $53 vs $68; a month $859 vs $1,302.
Bandung is easier: Bandung 2.8/5 vs Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bandung is about $859 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.