Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Lucerne is easier to travel (1.2 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Lucerne 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Lucerne | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | CHF 25$29.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ92% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | CHF 9$10.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ87% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | CHF 48$56.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ81% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | CHF 5.5$6.47 | Ho Chi Minh City โ71% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | CHF 7.5$8.82 | Ho Chi Minh City โ85% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | CHF 15$17.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ74% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | CHF 2.2$2.59 | Ho Chi Minh City โ87% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | CHF 3.2$3.76 | Ho Chi Minh City โ85% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | CHF 28$32.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ92% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | CHF 16$18.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ96% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | CHF 4.8$5.65 | Ho Chi Minh City โ95% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | CHF 15$17.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ68% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | CHF 220$259 | Ho Chi Minh City โ85% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | CHF 1,600$1,882 | Ho Chi Minh City โ80% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | CHF 11$12.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ91% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | CHF 25$29.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ74% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | CHF 45$52.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ93% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | CHF 110$129 | Ho Chi Minh City โ91% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | CHF 25$29.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | CHF 35$41.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ95% |
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 86% cheaper than Lucerne. Daily budget $68 vs $508; a month $1,302 vs $8,690.
Lucerne is easier: Lucerne 1.2/5 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 Lucerne about $8,690 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.