Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Ho Chi Minh City is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: getting around โ Ho Chi Minh City 2 vs Siargao 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Siargao | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | โฑ 200$3.51 | Ho Chi Minh City โ35% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฑ 600$10.5 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Ho Chi Minh City โ28% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฑ 250$4.39 | similar |
| 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 50$0.88 | Ho Chi Minh City โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฑ 200$3.51 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Ho Chi Minh City โ57% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | โฑ 30$0.53 | Ho Chi Minh City โ49% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฑ 400$7.02 | Ho Chi Minh City โ19% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | โฑ 2,500$43.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | โฑ 20,000$351 | Siargao โ8% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฑ 70$1.23 | Ho Chi Minh City โ7% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Ho Chi Minh City โ13% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Siargao โ31% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Siargao 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 100$1.75 | Siargao โ8% |
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 15% cheaper than Siargao. Daily budget $68 vs $80.2; a month $1,302 vs $1,511.
Ho Chi Minh City is easier: Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 vs Siargao 3.2/5 (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 Siargao about $1,511 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.