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Compare cities โบ Cartagena vs Ho Chi Minh City
Cartagena 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 Cartagena
๐ป๐ณ Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City is 45% cheaper than Cartagena
Living on $2,150 a month in Cartagena 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?
Cartagena 1tie 1Ho Chi Minh City 18
One day's budget in Cartagena ($136) lasts 2.0 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
$136 vs $68
Per month
$2,150 vs $1,302
Local meal
COL$ 20,000 vs โซ 60,000
$4.88 vs $2.28
Taxi 5 km
COL$ 15,000 vs โซ 70,000
$3.66 vs $2.66
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 20% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 28% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 49% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 42% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 48% cheaper
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (74%โ), Transit (72%โ), Hotel night (55%โ)
- Where Cartagena is clearly cheaper: Street food (27%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Cartagena to see what gives the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City. Starts at the average Cartagena salary.
Travel difficulty
Cartagena
Ho Chi Minh City
Overall
Hard3.2
Hard3.0
Rip-offs & haggling
4
4
Language
3
3
Getting around
3
2
Payments
3
3
Safety
3
3
Ho Chi Minh City is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: getting around โ Cartagena 3 vs Ho Chi Minh City 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cartagena | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Street food1 item | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Cartagena โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | COL$ 75,000$18.3 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| Coffeeone cup | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ32% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ38% |
| Bottled water | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Ho Chi Minh City โ44% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| Taxi5 km in town | COL$ 15,000$3.66 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Ho Chi Minh City โ27% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ48% |
| Transitone ride | COL$ 3,900$0.95 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ72% |
| Scooter rentalper day | COL$ 40,000$9.76 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | COL$ 350,000$85.4 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Studio rent (month) | COL$ 2,200,000$537 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ29% |
| Laundry | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| SIM card1 week data | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | similar |
| Haircutcut | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Massage1 hour | COL$ 100,000$24.4 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Half-day tourper person | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ74% |
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, Cartagena or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is 45% cheaper than Cartagena. Daily budget $136 vs $68; a month $2,150 vs $1,302.
Which is easier to travel, Cartagena or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is easier: Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 vs Cartagena 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cartagena and Ho Chi Minh City?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cartagena is about $2,150 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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