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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs Merzouga
Ho Chi Minh City vs Merzouga 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
๐ฒ๐ฆ MerzougaHo Chi Minh City is 32% cheaper than Merzouga
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $1,392 in Merzouga โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 17tie 0Merzouga 3
One day's budget in Merzouga ($129) lasts 1.9 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 $129
Per month
$1,302 vs $1,392
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs MAD 70
$2.28 vs $7.37
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs MAD 50
$2.66 vs $5.26
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 56% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 53% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 78% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 18% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 61% cheaper
- Where Merzouga is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (50%โ), SIM card (17%โ), Haircut (17%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Transit (83%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (82%โ), Beer (75%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in Merzouga. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
Merzouga
Overall
Hard3.0
Hard3.4
Rip-offs & haggling
4
4
Language
3
3
Getting around
2
4
Payments
3
4
Safety
3
2
Ho Chi Minh City is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: getting around โ Ho Chi Minh City 2 vs Merzouga 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Merzouga | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | MAD 70$7.37 | Ho Chi Minh City โ69% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | MAD 30$3.16 | Ho Chi Minh City โ58% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | MAD 130$13.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | MAD 20$2.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ10% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | MAD 50$5.26 | Ho Chi Minh City โ75% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | MAD 60$6.32 | Ho Chi Minh City โ28% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | MAD 5$0.53 | Ho Chi Minh City โ35% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | MAD 8$0.84 | Ho Chi Minh City โ32% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | MAD 50$5.26 | Ho Chi Minh City โ49% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | MAD 40$4.21 | Ho Chi Minh City โ82% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | MAD 15$1.58 | Ho Chi Minh City โ83% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | MAD 100$10.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | MAD 700$73.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ48% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | MAD 1,800$189 | Merzouga โ50% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | MAD 20$2.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | MAD 60$6.32 | Merzouga โ17% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | MAD 30$3.16 | Merzouga โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | MAD 250$26.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ57% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | MAD 500$52.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | MAD 60$6.32 | Ho Chi Minh City โ70% |
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 Merzouga?
Ho Chi Minh City is 32% cheaper than Merzouga. Daily budget $68 vs $129; a month $1,302 vs $1,392.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Merzouga?
Ho Chi Minh City is easier: Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 vs Merzouga 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ho Chi Minh City and Merzouga?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Merzouga about $1,392 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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