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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs New York
Ho Chi Minh City vs New York 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
๐บ๐ธ New YorkHo Chi Minh City is 86% cheaper than New York
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $10,297 in New York โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 20tie 0New York 0
One day's budget in New York ($467) lasts 6.9 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 $467
Per month
$1,302 vs $10,297
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs $ 20
$2.28 vs $20
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs $ 23
$2.66 vs $23
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 86% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 79% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 92% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 87% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 89% cheaper
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (95%โ), Entry ticket (94%โ), Scooter rental (92%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in New York. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
New York
Overall
Hard3.0
Easy1.6
Rip-offs & haggling
4
2
Language
3
1
Getting around
2
2
Payments
3
1
Safety
3
2
New York is easier to travel (1.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs New York 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | New York | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | $ 20$20 | Ho Chi Minh City โ89% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | $ 10$10 | Ho Chi Minh City โ87% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | $ 55$55 | Ho Chi Minh City โ81% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | $ 6$6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ68% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | $ 9$9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ85% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | $ 19$19 | Ho Chi Minh City โ76% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | $ 2$2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ83% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | $ 3$3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ81% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | $ 23$23 | Ho Chi Minh City โ88% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | $ 14$14 | Ho Chi Minh City โ95% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | $ 3$3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ91% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | $ 68$68 | Ho Chi Minh City โ92% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | $ 270$270 | Ho Chi Minh City โ86% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | $ 3,300$3,300 | Ho Chi Minh City โ88% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ75% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | $ 30$30 | Ho Chi Minh City โ75% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | $ 42$42 | Ho Chi Minh City โ91% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | $ 100$100 | Ho Chi Minh City โ89% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | $ 80$80 | Ho Chi Minh City โ69% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | $ 30$30 | Ho Chi Minh City โ94% |
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.
Open free โบ
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or New York?
Ho Chi Minh City is 86% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $68 vs $467; a month $1,302 vs $10,297.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or New York?
New York is easier: New York 1.6/5 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 New York?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and New York about $10,297 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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