Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Birmingham is easier to travel (1.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Birmingham 1 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Birmingham | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 15$20.3 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ89% |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ89% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 30$40.5 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ74% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 3.6$4.86 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ61% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 5.2$7.03 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ81% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ62% |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.1$1.49 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Ho Chi Minh City โ77% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ77% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 12$16.2 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Ho Chi Minh City โ84% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 7$9.46 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ92% |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 3$4.05 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ93% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 15$20.3 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ72% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 80$108 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ65% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 950$1,284 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ70% |
| Laundry | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ91% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ44% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 15$20.3 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ81% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 50$67.6 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ83% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 18$24.3 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 20$27 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ93% |
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 75% cheaper than Birmingham. Daily budget $264 vs $68; a month $5,267 vs $1,302.
Birmingham is easier: Birmingham 1.4/5 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, Birmingham is about $5,267 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.