Cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City
Extreme value and a fast-growing tech scene, held back by visa uncertainty and near-zero public transport.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $550, Food $308, Transport $53, Utilities $77, Healthcare $14, Lifestyle $84, Other $43.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $550
Salary and tax in Ho Chi Minh City
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $7,747 | $1,903 | $2,529 | 24.1% | $1,401 |
| $75,000 | $19,882 | $1,903 | $4,435 | 29.0% | $3,306 |
| $120,000 | $35,632 | $1,903 | $6,872 | 31.3% | $5,744 |
| $200,000 | $63,632 | $1,903 | $11,205 | 32.8% | $10,077 |
- Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income after 183 days.
People who actually live in Ho Chi Minh City
Quality of life
A year of weather in Ho Chi Minh City
Average monthly temperature in Ho Chi Minh City: January 26.8 degrees, February 28 degrees, March 28.9 degrees, April 30.1 degrees, May 29 degrees, June 27.7 degrees, July 27.1 degrees, August 27.3 degrees, September 26.7 degrees, October 26.8 degrees, November 26.9 degrees, December 27 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived35%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated65%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
| Item | USD | VND |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $550 | ₫14,199,539 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $330 | ₫8,519,723 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $1,200 | ₫30,980,812 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $700 | ₫18,072,141 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $3,800 | ₫98,105,906 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $90 | ₫2,323,561 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $12 | ₫309,808 |
| Mobile plan | $6.00 | ₫154,904 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $233 | ₫6,015,441 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $2.12 | ₫54,733 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $32 | ₫826,155 |
| Coffee | $1.91 | ₫49,311 |
| Beer in a bar | $1.27 | ₫32,788 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $17 | ₫438,895 |
| Taxi, per km | $1.00 | ₫25,817 |
| Petrol, per litre | $0.90 | ₫23,236 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $100 | ₫2,581,734 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $25 | ₫645,434 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $400 | ₫10,326,937 |
| International school, per year | $17,000 | ₫438,894,844 |
| Gym membership | $40 | ₫1,032,694 |
| Cinema ticket | $5.00 | ₫129,087 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
No nomad visa. 90-day e-visas are renewable, which is how most remote workers stay.
1 USD ≈ ₫25,817.34
Asia/Ho Chi_Minh
tropical climate
Compare Ho Chi Minh City with…
Getting set up in Ho Chi Minh City
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Ho Chi Minh City — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Ho Chi Minh City?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $1,128 a month, of which $550 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $1,553, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $3,145.
Is Ho Chi Minh City expensive?
On our index Ho Chi Minh City scores 18 where New York is 100 — about 82% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $550 a month covers 0.5× that budget.
What salary do you need in Ho Chi Minh City?
To cover the single-adult budget of $1,128 a month after tax, you need roughly $17,000 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Ho Chi Minh City?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $550 a month, $330 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $1,200 central and $700 further out.
Can you work remotely from Ho Chi Minh City?
No nomad visa. 90-day e-visas are renewable, which is how most remote workers stay.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.