Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Montevideo is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Montevideo 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Montevideo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | $U 600$15 | Ho Chi Minh City โ85% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | $U 150$3.75 | Ho Chi Minh City โ65% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | $U 1,000$25 | Ho Chi Minh City โ57% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | $U 220$5.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ65% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | $U 180$4.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ70% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | $U 350$8.75 | Ho Chi Minh City โ48% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | $U 50$1.25 | Ho Chi Minh City โ73% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | $U 100$2.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ77% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | $U 420$10.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ75% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | $U 200$5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ85% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | $U 52$1.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | $U 600$15 | Ho Chi Minh City โ62% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | $U 3,400$85 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | $U 26,000$650 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | $U 350$8.75 | Ho Chi Minh City โ87% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | $U 600$15 | Ho Chi Minh City โ49% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | $U 450$11.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ66% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | $U 1,600$40 | Ho Chi Minh City โ71% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | $U 2,500$62.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ60% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | $U 400$10 | Ho Chi Minh City โ81% |
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 62% cheaper than Montevideo. Daily budget $68 vs $192; a month $1,302 vs $3,217.
Montevideo is easier: Montevideo 2.4/5 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 Montevideo about $3,217 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.