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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs Shanghai
Ho Chi Minh City vs Shanghai 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
๐จ๐ณ ShanghaiHo Chi Minh City is 48% cheaper than Shanghai
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $2,712 in Shanghai โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 19tie 0Shanghai 1
One day's budget in Shanghai ($118) lasts 1.7 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 $118
Per month
$1,302 vs $2,712
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs ยฅ 35
$2.28 vs $4.93
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs ยฅ 20
$2.66 vs $2.82
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 42% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 62% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 51% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 51% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 77% cheaper
- Where Shanghai is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (63%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (89%โ), Beer (69%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (66%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in Shanghai. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
Shanghai
Overall
Hard3.0
Moderate2.4
Rip-offs & haggling
4
2
Language
3
4
Getting around
2
1
Payments
3
3
Safety
3
2
Shanghai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Shanghai 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Shanghai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Ho Chi Minh City โ54% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | ยฅ 110$15.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 28$3.94 | Ho Chi Minh City โ52% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Ho Chi Minh City โ69% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | ยฅ 85$12 | Ho Chi Minh City โ62% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | ยฅ 3$0.42 | Ho Chi Minh City โ19% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | ยฅ 5$0.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ19% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 20$2.82 | Ho Chi Minh City โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | ยฅ 16$2.25 | Ho Chi Minh City โ66% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | ยฅ 4$0.56 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Shanghai โ63% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | ยฅ 500$70.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | ยฅ 6,000$845 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | ยฅ 14$1.97 | Ho Chi Minh City โ42% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | ยฅ 60$8.45 | Ho Chi Minh City โ55% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | ยฅ 200$28.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ60% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | ยฅ 250$35.2 | Ho Chi Minh City โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 120$16.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ89% |
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 Shanghai?
Ho Chi Minh City is 48% cheaper than Shanghai. Daily budget $68 vs $118; a month $1,302 vs $2,712.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Shanghai?
Shanghai is easier: Shanghai 2.4/5 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 Shanghai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Shanghai about $2,712 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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