✦ Compare
Buenos Aires 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.
Buenos Aires, AR vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN at a glance — Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 15% cheaper than Buenos Aires, AR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $500/mo versus $500/mo. Top income tax: 35% vs 35%.
To keep the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City, VN, you'd need
$63,595 / year
Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 15% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Ho Chi Minh City, VN vs Buenos Aires, AR)
- Housing-17%
- Food & groceries-24%
- Transport-13%
- Utilities-21%
- Healthcare-18%
- Goods & services-8%
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Buenos Aires, AR overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Ho Chi Minh City, VN overview →
◎ How Buenos Aires, AR and Ho Chi Minh City, VN compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Buenos Aires, AR | Ho Chi Minh City, VN | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 53 | 45 |
| Housing | 46 | 38 |
| Food | 55 | 42 |
| Transport | 40 | 35 |
| Utilities | 70 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 55 | 45 |
| Goods & services | 60 | 55 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $500/mo | $500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $350/mo | $320/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,000/mo | $1,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $2,500 | $3,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,880 | $2,217 |
| Inexpensive meal | $8 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | $15 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 35% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 35% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $500/mo | $500/mo |
| Minimum wage | — | $200/mo |
| GDP per capita | $14,898✓ | $4,347✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 3.6%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Low | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 45 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC-3 | UTC+7 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 58 | 48 |
| Safety index | 42 | 60 |
| Healthcare index | 68 | 55 |
| Pollution index | 50 | 65 |
| Internet speed | 60 Mbps | 90 Mbps |
| Walkability | 80 | 40 |
| Public transport | 72 | 35 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 55 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Health insurance | $60/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 78 yr✓ | 75 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +25 °C | +27 °C |
| July avg | +11 °C | +28 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 180 | 220 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,150 mm | 1,900 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 3 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Argentina vs Vietnam. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Buenos Aires vs Ho Chi Minh City — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Buenos Aires
European elegance at bargain prices — steak, tango and café culture, shadowed by chronic inflation.
- Currency
- Argentine peso ($ ARS)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-3
- Internet
- 60 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 42/100
- Climate
- ❄ 25°C · ☀ 11°C · 180 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- C/I · 220V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Palermo · Recoleta · San Telmo
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
Plan your move to Buenos Aires
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Ho Chi Minh City
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Scooter rentalBikesBooking
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Buenos Aires to Ho Chi Minh City: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Buenos Aires to Ho Chi Minh City, your cost of living will be roughly 15% cheaper. Ho Chi Minh City’s cost-of-living index is 45 versus 53 for Buenos Aires (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Buenos Aires cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is about 15% cheaper than Buenos Aires overall — its cost-of-living index is 45 versus 53 for Buenos Aires.
Which is more expensive, Buenos Aires or Ho Chi Minh City?
Buenos Aires is more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City. Its cost-of-living index is 53 vs 45 (US = 100) — about 18% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Buenos Aires or Ho Chi Minh City?
Rent is cheaper in Buenos Aires — about $500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $500 in Ho Chi Minh City.
How much do you need to earn in Ho Chi Minh City to live like in Buenos Aires?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Buenos Aires is worth about $63,595 in Ho Chi Minh City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Buenos Aires or Ho Chi Minh City?
Argentina has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 35% in Vietnam.
◷ More comparisons from Buenos Aires
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.