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Bordeaux vs Ho Chi Minh City

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Bordeaux, FR vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN at a glance — Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 55% cheaper than Bordeaux, FR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $500/mo versus $850/mo. Top income tax: 35% vs 45%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City, VN, you'd need

$34,092 / year

Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 55% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Ho Chi Minh City, VN vs Bordeaux, FR)

  • Housing-62%
  • Food & groceries-60%
  • Transport-54%
  • Utilities-50%
  • Healthcare-45%
  • Goods & services-48%

◎ How Bordeaux, FR and Ho Chi Minh City, VN compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Bordeaux, FRHo Chi Minh City, VN

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Bordeaux, FRHo Chi Minh City, VN
Cost of living
Overall cost index9945
Housing10038
Food10642
Transport7635
Utilities11055
Healthcare8245
Goods & services10655
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$850/mo$500/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$660/mo$320/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$1,700/mo$1,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$5,500$3,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$1,008$2,217
Inexpensive meal$16$3
Monthly transit pass$45—
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)45%35%
VAT / sales tax20%10%
Social security (employee)22%—
Corporate tax25%20%
Capital gains30%—
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$2,600/mo$500/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$60,483✓—
Minimum wage$2,164/mo✓$200/mo
GDP per capita$48,986✓$4,347✓
Inflation (annual)0.9%✓3.6%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoNo
English proficiencyModerateModerate
Coworking spaces2540
Time zoneUTC+1UTC+7
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7448
Safety index6360
Healthcare index8555
Pollution index4065
Internet speed160 Mbps90 Mbps
Walkability8240
Public transport7635
Family-friendly7455
Tap waterSafe to drinkUse caution
Life expectancy83 yr✓75 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+7 °C+27 °C
July avg+22 °C+28 °C
Sunny days / year200220
Rainfall / year950 mm1,900 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h2 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: France vs Vietnam. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Bordeaux vs Ho Chi Minh City — in your currency

BordeauxHo Chi Minh City
1-bed rent, city centre$850$500
1-bed rent, outside centre$660$320
Inexpensive meal$16$3
Utilities (monthly)$165$55

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Bordeaux

An elegant, honey-stone city on the Garonne at the heart of France's greatest wine region — just two hours from Paris by TGV and a short hop to the Atlantic beaches. Milder and cheaper than Paris, it's become a magnet for remote workers and Parisians heading south.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
French
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
160 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
63/100
Climate
❄ 7°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
E · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Chartrons · Saint-Pierre · Saint-Michel · La Bastide

Good to know before you move to Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon runs on motorbikes, coffee and relentless energy — one of Asia's cheapest big cities, with a fast-growing nomad and startup scene in District 1 and Thao Dien. No dedicated visa yet, so most stay on rolling e-visas.

Currency
Vietnamese dong (₫ VND)
Languages
Vietnamese
Time zone
UTC+7
Internet
90 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
60/100
Climate
❄ 27°C · ☀ 28°C · 220 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Bottled recommended
Power
A/C/F · 220V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
District 1 · Thao Dien · Binh Thanh · Phu Nhuan

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Bordeaux to Ho Chi Minh City: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Bordeaux to Ho Chi Minh City, your cost of living will be roughly 55% cheaper. Ho Chi Minh City’s cost-of-living index is 45 versus 99 for Bordeaux (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Bordeaux cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City?

Ho Chi Minh City is about 55% cheaper than Bordeaux overall — its cost-of-living index is 45 versus 99 for Bordeaux.

Which is more expensive, Bordeaux or Ho Chi Minh City?

Bordeaux is more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City. Its cost-of-living index is 99 vs 45 (US = 100) — about 120% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Bordeaux or Ho Chi Minh City?

Rent is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City — about $500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $850 in Bordeaux.

How much do you need to earn in Ho Chi Minh City to live like in Bordeaux?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Bordeaux is worth about $34,092 in Ho Chi Minh City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Bordeaux or Ho Chi Minh City?

Vietnam has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 45% in France.

◷ More comparisons from Bordeaux

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.