✦ Compare
Boston 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.
To keep the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City, VN, you'd need
$30,348 / year
Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 60% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Ho Chi Minh City, VN vs Boston, MA)
- Housing-75%
- Food & groceries-53%
- Transport-62%
- Utilities-42%
- Healthcare-54%
- Goods & services-43%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,000 /mo
Boston, MA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Ho Chi Minh City, VN overview →
▤ Full comparison
| Boston, MA | Ho Chi Minh City, VN | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 111 | 45 |
| Housing | 152 | 38 |
| Food | 90 | 42 |
| Transport | 91 | 35 |
| Utilities | 95 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 45 |
| Goods & services | 96 | 55 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,000/mo | $500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,300/mo | $320/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $5,500/mo | $1,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $11,000 | $3,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $897 | $2,217 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | $90 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 10% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 20% |
| Capital gains | 20% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $500/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $200/mo |
| GDP per capita | $90,027 | $4,347 |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 3.6% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 80 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | UTC+7 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 62 | 60 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 55 |
| Pollution index | 35 | 65 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 90 Mbps |
| Walkability | 83 | 40 |
| Public transport | 75 | 35 |
| Family-friendly | 65 | 55 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Health insurance | $460/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 75 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -1 °C | +27 °C |
| July avg | +23 °C | +28 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 220 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,100 mm | 1,900 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Vietnam. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Boston to Ho Chi Minh City: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Boston to Ho Chi Minh City, your cost of living will be roughly 60% cheaper. Ho Chi Minh City’s cost-of-living index is 45 versus 111 for Boston (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Boston cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is about 60% cheaper than Boston overall — its cost-of-living index is 45 versus 111 for Boston.
How much do you need to earn in Ho Chi Minh City to live like in Boston?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Boston is worth about $30,348 in Ho Chi Minh City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Boston or Ho Chi Minh City?
Vietnam has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from Boston
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.