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Compare cities โบ Beijing vs Ho Chi Minh City
Beijing 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
๐จ๐ณ Beijing
๐ป๐ณ Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City is 39% cheaper than Beijing
Living on $2,455 a month in Beijing feels like about $1,302 in Ho Chi Minh City โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Beijing 1tie 2Ho Chi Minh City 17
One day's budget in Beijing ($98.1) lasts 1.4 days in Ho Chi Minh City
Compare on YOUR lifestyleSet your rent, eating out, coffee & taxis โ see your real monthly difference ยท free
โบ
Per day
$98.1 vs $68
Per month
$2,455 vs $1,302
Local meal
ยฅ 30 vs โซ 60,000
$4.23 vs $2.28
Taxi 5 km
ยฅ 18 vs โซ 70,000
$2.54 vs $2.66
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 31% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 51% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 36% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 42% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 56% cheaper
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (78%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (61%โ), Massage (60%โ)
- Where Beijing is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (63%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Beijing to see what gives the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City. Starts at the average Beijing salary.
Travel difficulty
Beijing
Ho Chi Minh City
Overall
Moderate2.6
Hard3.0
Rip-offs & haggling
3
4
Language
4
3
Getting around
1
2
Payments
3
3
Safety
2
3
Beijing is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Beijing 3 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Beijing | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 30$4.23 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 12$1.69 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ21% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 100$14.1 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 25$3.52 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 20$2.82 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 70$9.86 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ54% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 2.5$0.35 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 5$0.7 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ19% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 18$2.54 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 14$1.97 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ61% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 4$0.56 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 15$2.11 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Beijing โ63% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 400$56.3 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 5,500$775 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ51% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 14$1.97 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 100$14.1 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 50$7.04 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 200$28.2 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ60% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 250$35.2 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 60$8.45 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ78% |
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%+.
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FAQ
Which is cheaper, Beijing or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is 39% cheaper than Beijing. Daily budget $98.1 vs $68; a month $2,455 vs $1,302.
Which is easier to travel, Beijing or Ho Chi Minh City?
Beijing is easier: Beijing 2.6/5 vs Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Beijing is about $2,455 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.
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