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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs Manila
Ho Chi Minh City vs Manila cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Ho Chi Minh City
๐ต๐ญ ManilaHo Chi Minh City is 30% cheaper than Manila
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $1,683 in Manila โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 14tie 1Manila 5
One day's budget in Manila ($107) lasts 1.6 days in Ho Chi Minh City
Compare on YOUR lifestyleSet your rent, eating out, coffee & taxis โ see your real monthly difference ยท free
โบ
Per day
$68 vs $107
Per month
$1,302 vs $1,683
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs โฑ 280
$2.28 vs $4.91
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs โฑ 220
$2.66 vs $3.86
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 27% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 27% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 22% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 28% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 7% cheaper
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Street food (34%โ), Massage (23%โ), SIM card (19%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Local meal (54%โ), Convenience store (48%โ), Hotel night (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in Manila. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
Manila
Overall
Hard3.0
Moderate2.6
Rip-offs & haggling
4
3
Language
3
2
Getting around
2
3
Payments
3
2
Safety
3
3
Manila is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Manila 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Manila | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | โฑ 280$4.91 | Ho Chi Minh City โ54% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Manila โ34% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฑ 800$14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Ho Chi Minh City โ28% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฑ 120$2.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ37% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฑ 300$5.26 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | โฑ 63$1.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ48% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฑ 220$3.86 | Ho Chi Minh City โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Ho Chi Minh City โ28% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | โฑ 15$0.26 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Ho Chi Minh City โ35% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ38% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | โฑ 25,000$439 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ8% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | โฑ 350$6.14 | Manila โ19% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | โฑ 180$3.16 | Manila โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Ho Chi Minh City โ28% |
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%+.
Compare on your own lifestyle in the appSet your rent, eating out, coffee and taxis โ see your real monthly difference and live traveler prices. No sign-up.
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FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Manila?
Ho Chi Minh City is 30% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $68 vs $107; a month $1,302 vs $1,683.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Manila?
Manila is easier: Manila 2.6/5 vs Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ho Chi Minh City and Manila?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Manila about $1,683 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.
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