Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Cluj-Napoca is easier to travel (1.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cluj-Napoca 2 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Cluj-Napoca | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | lei 50$10.8 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ79% |
| Street food1 item | lei 30$6.45 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ79% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | lei 100$21.5 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ50% |
| Coffeeone cup | lei 15$3.23 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ41% |
| Beerone bottle | lei 14$3.01 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | lei 28$6.02 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| Bottled water | lei 3.5$0.75 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | lei 6$1.29 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Taxi5 km in town | lei 25$5.38 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Ho Chi Minh City โ50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | lei 15$3.23 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ76% |
| Transitone ride | lei 4$0.86 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ69% |
| Scooter rentalper day | lei 80$17.2 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ67% |
| Hotel night3-star | lei 400$86 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Studio rent (month) | lei 2,400$516 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ26% |
| Laundry | lei 40$8.6 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ87% |
| SIM card1 week data | lei 25$5.38 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Cluj-Napoca โ29% |
| Haircutcut | lei 45$9.68 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ61% |
| Massage1 hour | lei 180$38.7 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ71% |
| Half-day tourper person | lei 180$38.7 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ36% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | lei 25$5.38 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ65% |
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 51% cheaper than Cluj-Napoca. Daily budget $162 vs $68; a month $2,344 vs $1,302.
Cluj-Napoca is easier: Cluj-Napoca 1.8/5 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, Cluj-Napoca is about $2,344 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.