Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Guadalajara is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Guadalajara 2 vs Ho Chi Minh City 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Guadalajara | Ho Chi Minh City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 100$5.38 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ58% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 55$2.96 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 300$16.1 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ34% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 60$3.23 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ41% |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 55$2.96 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 150$8.06 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ43% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 14$0.75 | โซ 9,000$0.34 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 20$1.08 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Ho Chi Minh City โ47% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 75$4.03 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Ho Chi Minh City โ34% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 50$2.69 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ72% |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 11$0.59 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 120$6.45 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ12% |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,200$64.5 | โซ 1,000,000$38 | Ho Chi Minh City โ41% |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 12,000$645 | โซ 10,000,000$380 | Ho Chi Minh City โ41% |
| Laundry | MX$ 20$1.08 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Guadalajara โ6% |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 200$10.8 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ29% |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 120$6.45 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ41% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 500$26.9 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ58% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 550$29.6 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 90$4.84 | 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%+.
Ho Chi Minh City is 42% cheaper than Guadalajara. Daily budget $116 vs $68; a month $2,261 vs $1,302.
Guadalajara is easier: Guadalajara 2.6/5 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, Guadalajara is about $2,261 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.