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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs Suzhou
Ho Chi Minh City vs Suzhou 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 SuzhouHo Chi Minh City is 20% cheaper than Suzhou
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $1,762 in Suzhou โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 15tie 2Suzhou 3
One day's budget in Suzhou ($78) lasts 1.1 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 $78
Per month
$1,302 vs $1,762
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs ยฅ 25
$2.28 vs $3.52
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs ยฅ 16
$2.66 vs $2.25
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 28% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 46% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 24% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 10% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 66% cheaper
- Where Suzhou is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (51%โ), Bottled water (18%โ), Taxi (15%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (83%โ), Laundry (60%โ), Coffee (52%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in Suzhou. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
Suzhou
Overall
Hard3.0
Moderate2.6
Rip-offs & haggling
4
2
Language
3
4
Getting around
2
2
Payments
3
3
Safety
3
2
Suzhou is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Suzhou 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Suzhou | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | ยฅ 25$3.52 | Ho Chi Minh City โ35% |
| 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 80$11.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 28$3.94 | Ho Chi Minh City โ52% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ37% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | ยฅ 60$8.45 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Suzhou โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | ยฅ 4$0.56 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 16$2.25 | Suzhou โ15% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | ยฅ 11$1.55 | Ho Chi Minh City โ51% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Ho Chi Minh City โ6% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | ยฅ 20$2.82 | Suzhou โ51% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | ยฅ 300$42.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | ยฅ 3,000$423 | Ho Chi Minh City โ10% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | ยฅ 20$2.82 | Ho Chi Minh City โ60% |
| 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 40$5.63 | Ho Chi Minh City โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | ยฅ 150$21.1 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | ยฅ 180$25.4 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 80$11.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ83% |
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 Suzhou?
Ho Chi Minh City is 20% cheaper than Suzhou. Daily budget $68 vs $78; a month $1,302 vs $1,762.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Suzhou?
Suzhou is easier: Suzhou 2.6/5 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 Suzhou?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Suzhou about $1,762 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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