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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs Ulsan
Ho Chi Minh City vs Ulsan 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
๐ฐ๐ท UlsanHo Chi Minh City is 36% cheaper than Ulsan
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $1,942 in Ulsan โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 17tie 1Ulsan 2
One day's budget in Ulsan ($113) 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 $113
Per month
$1,302 vs $1,942
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs โฉ 10,000
$2.28 vs $7.25
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs โฉ 7,500
$2.66 vs $5.43
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 57% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 54% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 71% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 16% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 36% cheaper
- Where Ulsan is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (85%โ), Entry ticket (24%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Laundry (83%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (77%โ), Transit (76%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in Ulsan. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
Ulsan
Overall
Hard3.0
Easy1.8
Rip-offs & haggling
4
1
Language
3
4
Getting around
2
2
Payments
3
1
Safety
3
1
Ulsan is easier to travel (1.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Ulsan 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Ulsan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | Ho Chi Minh City โ69% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฉ 4,000$2.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ54% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฉ 25,000$18.1 | Ho Chi Minh City โ41% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฉ 4,800$3.48 | Ho Chi Minh City โ45% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | Ho Chi Minh City โ63% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฉ 12,000$8.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ48% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | โฉ 1,100$0.8 | Ho Chi Minh City โ57% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Ho Chi Minh City โ61% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฉ 7,500$5.43 | Ho Chi Minh City โ51% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | โฉ 4,500$3.26 | Ho Chi Minh City โ77% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | โฉ 1,500$1.09 | Ho Chi Minh City โ76% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฉ 15,000$10.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ48% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | โฉ 70,000$50.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ25% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | โฉ 550,000$399 | similar |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฉ 9,000$6.52 | Ho Chi Minh City โ83% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ65% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | โฉ 15,000$10.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ65% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฉ 60,000$43.5 | Ho Chi Minh City โ74% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | Ulsan โ85% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Ulsan โ24% |
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%+.
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FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Ulsan?
Ho Chi Minh City is 36% cheaper than Ulsan. Daily budget $68 vs $113; a month $1,302 vs $1,942.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Ulsan?
Ulsan is easier: Ulsan 1.8/5 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 Ulsan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Ulsan about $1,942 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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