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Compare cities โบ Cali vs Ho Chi Minh City
Cali 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
๐จ๐ด Cali
๐ป๐ณ Ho Chi Minh CityCali and Ho Chi Minh City cost about the same
Living on $1,132 a month in Cali 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?
Cali 2tie 1Ho Chi Minh City 17
Compare on YOUR lifestyleSet your rent, eating out, coffee & taxis โ see your real monthly difference ยท free
โบ
Per day
$81.6 vs $68
Per month
$1,132 vs $1,302
Local meal
COL$ 17,000 vs โซ 60,000
$4.15 vs $2.28
Taxi 5 km
COL$ 14,000 vs โซ 70,000
$3.41 vs $2.66
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 23% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 20% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 49% cheaper
StayCali 18% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 39% cheaper
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (74%โ), Transit (69%โ), Entry ticket (61%โ)
- Where Cali is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (36%โ), SIM card (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Cali to see what gives the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City. Starts at the average Cali salary.
Travel difficulty
Cali
Ho Chi Minh City
Overall
Hard3.4
Hard3.0
Rip-offs & haggling
3
4
Language
4
3
Getting around
3
2
Payments
3
3
Safety
4
3
Ho Chi Minh City is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cali 3 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cali | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | COL$ 17,000$4.15 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ45% |
| Street food1 item | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | COL$ 45,000$11 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ25% |
| Bottled water | COL$ 2,000$0.49 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Ho Chi Minh City โ30% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | COL$ 3,500$0.85 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ33% |
| Taxi5 km in town | COL$ 14,000$3.41 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | COL$ 7,100$1.73 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Transitone ride | COL$ 3,500$0.85 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ69% |
| Scooter rentalper day | COL$ 90,000$22 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ74% |
| Hotel night3-star | COL$ 180,000$43.9 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Studio rent (month) | COL$ 1,000,000$244 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Cali โ36% |
| Laundry | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ33% |
| SIM card1 week data | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Cali โ20% |
| Haircutcut | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Massage1 hour | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| Half-day tourper person | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ61% |
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%+.
Compare on your own lifestyle in the appSet your rent, eating out, coffee and taxis โ see your real monthly difference and live traveler prices. No sign-up.
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FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cali or Ho Chi Minh City?
Cali and Ho Chi Minh City cost about the same. Daily budget $81.6 vs $68; a month $1,132 vs $1,302.
Which is easier to travel, Cali or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is easier: Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 vs Cali 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cali and Ho Chi Minh City?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cali is about $1,132 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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