Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Jeddah is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Jeddah 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Jeddah | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | SAR 30$8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ71% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | SAR 12$3.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ58% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | SAR 90$24 | Ho Chi Minh City โ56% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | SAR 17$4.53 | Ho Chi Minh City โ58% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | SAR 15$4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ67% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | SAR 30$8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ43% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | SAR 1.5$0.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | SAR 3$0.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ29% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | SAR 20$5.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | SAR 12$3.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ76% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | SAR 3.45$0.92 | Ho Chi Minh City โ71% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | SAR 100$26.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ79% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | SAR 350$93.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ59% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | SAR 2,000$533 | Ho Chi Minh City โ29% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | SAR 12$3.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ64% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | SAR 100$26.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ71% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | SAR 35$9.33 | Ho Chi Minh City โ59% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | SAR 200$53.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ79% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | SAR 150$40 | Ho Chi Minh City โ38% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | SAR 40$10.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ82% |
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 54% cheaper than Jeddah. Daily budget $68 vs $167; a month $1,302 vs $2,420.
Jeddah is easier: Jeddah 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, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Jeddah about $2,420 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.