Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Madrid | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ₫ 55,000$2.09 | € 12$14 | Ho Chi Minh City −85% |
| Street food1 item | ₫ 25,000$0.95 | € 5.4$6.28 | Ho Chi Minh City −85% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ₫ 250,000$9.51 | € 26$30.2 | Ho Chi Minh City −69% |
| Coffeeone cup | ₫ 45,000$1.71 | € 2$2.33 | Ho Chi Minh City −26% |
| Beerone bottle | ₫ 35,000$1.33 | € 3$3.49 | Ho Chi Minh City −62% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ₫ 91,000$3.46 | € 7.8$9.07 | Ho Chi Minh City −62% |
| Bottled water | ₫ 8,000$0.3 | € 1.5$1.74 | Ho Chi Minh City −83% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ₫ 20,000$0.76 | € 3.8$4.42 | Ho Chi Minh City −83% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ₫ 90,000$3.42 | € 10$11.6 | Ho Chi Minh City −71% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ₫ 40,000$1.52 | € 7$8.14 | Ho Chi Minh City −81% |
| Transitone ride | ₫ 7,000$0.27 | € 1.5$1.74 | Ho Chi Minh City −85% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | € 30$34.9 | Ho Chi Minh City −83% |
| Hotel night3-star | ₫ 900,000$34.2 | € 120$140 | Ho Chi Minh City −75% |
| Studio rent (month) | ₫ 14,000,000$532 | € 1,200$1,395 | Ho Chi Minh City −62% |
| Laundry | ₫ 32,000$1.22 | € 3$3.49 | Ho Chi Minh City −65% |
| SIM card1 week data | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | € 13$15.1 | Ho Chi Minh City −60% |
| Haircutcut | ₫ 95,000$3.61 | € 16$18.6 | Ho Chi Minh City −81% |
| Massage1 hour | ₫ 270,000$10.3 | € 47$54.7 | Ho Chi Minh City −81% |
| Half-day tourper person | ₫ 670,000$25.5 | € 43$50 | Ho Chi Minh City −49% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ₫ 130,000$4.94 | € 13$15.1 | Ho Chi Minh City −67% |
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 244% cheaper than Madrid. Daily budget $63.9 vs $252; a month $1,628 vs $4,794.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,628 and Madrid about $4,794 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.