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Compare cities โบ Ho Chi Minh City vs Xiamen
Ho Chi Minh City vs Xiamen 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 XiamenHo Chi Minh City is 22% cheaper than Xiamen
Living on $1,302 a month in Ho Chi Minh City feels like about $1,590 in Xiamen โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Ho Chi Minh City 14tie 2Xiamen 4
One day's budget in Xiamen ($90.3) lasts 1.3 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 $90.3
Per month
$1,302 vs $1,590
Local meal
โซ 60,000 vs ยฅ 30
$2.28 vs $4.23
Taxi 5 km
โซ 70,000 vs ยฅ 15
$2.66 vs $2.11
At a glance
FoodHo Chi Minh City 37% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksHo Chi Minh City 46% cheaper
TransportHo Chi Minh City 19% cheaper
StayHo Chi Minh City 14% cheaper
FunHo Chi Minh City 43% cheaper
- Where Xiamen is clearly cheaper: Taxi (21%โ), Bottled water (18%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (61%โ), Coffee (52%โ), Local meal (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Ho Chi Minh City to see what gives the same standard of living in Xiamen. Starts at the average Ho Chi Minh City salary.
Travel difficulty
Ho Chi Minh City
Xiamen
Overall
Hard3.0
Moderate2.6
Rip-offs & haggling
4
2
Language
3
4
Getting around
2
2
Payments
3
3
Safety
3
2
Xiamen is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Xiamen 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Xiamen | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| 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 100$14.1 | Ho Chi Minh City โ24% |
| 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 | Xiamen โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | ยฅ 3.5$0.49 | Xiamen โ14% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Xiamen โ21% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | ยฅ 10$1.41 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| 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 40$5.63 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | ยฅ 350$49.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ23% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | ยฅ 2,800$394 | similar |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Ho Chi Minh City โ46% |
| 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 150$21.1 | Xiamen โ15% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Ho Chi Minh City โ61% |
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 Xiamen?
Ho Chi Minh City is 22% cheaper than Xiamen. Daily budget $68 vs $90.3; a month $1,302 vs $1,590.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Xiamen?
Xiamen is easier: Xiamen 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 Xiamen?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Xiamen about $1,590 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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