✦ Compare
Chiang Mai 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.
Chiang Mai, TH vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN at a glance — Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai, TH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $500/mo versus $450/mo. Top income tax: 35% vs 35%.
To keep the same standard of living in Ho Chi Minh City, VN, you'd need
$69,672 / year
Ho Chi Minh City, VN is 7% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Ho Chi Minh City, VN vs Chiang Mai, TH)
- Housing-10%
- Food & groceries-7%
- Transport-8%
- Utilities-15%
- Healthcare-18%
- Goods & services0%
Median 1-bed rent
$450 /mo
Chiang Mai, TH overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Ho Chi Minh City, VN overview →
◎ How Chiang Mai, TH and Ho Chi Minh City, VN compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Chiang Mai, TH | Ho Chi Minh City, VN | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 49 | 45 |
| Housing | 42 | 38 |
| Food | 45 | 42 |
| Transport | 38 | 35 |
| Utilities | 65 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 55 | 45 |
| Goods & services | 55 | 55 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $450/mo | $500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $300/mo | $320/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $900/mo | $1,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $1,800 | $3,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $2,059 | $2,217 |
| Inexpensive meal | $3 | $3 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 35% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 7% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $800/mo | $500/mo |
| Minimum wage | $300/mo | $200/mo |
| GDP per capita | $8,057✓ | $4,347✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | -0.1%✓ | 3.6%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 50 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC+7 | UTC+7 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 53 | 48 |
| Safety index | 65 | 60 |
| Healthcare index | 70 | 55 |
| Pollution index | 70 | 65 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 90 Mbps |
| Walkability | 45 | 40 |
| Public transport | 30 | 35 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 55 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Use caution |
| Life expectancy | 77 yr✓ | 75 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +22 °C | +27 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +28 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 240 | 220 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,150 mm | 1,900 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Thailand 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: Chiang Mai vs Ho Chi Minh City — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Chiang Mai
The original budget-nomad capital — temples, mountains and Nimman's café-coworking strip at some of Asia's lowest costs. The trade-off is the March–April burning season, when air quality collapses.
- Currency
- Thai baht (฿ THB)
- Languages
- Thai
- Time zone
- UTC+7
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 65/100
- Climate
- ❄ 22°C · ☀ 28°C · 240 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- A/B/C · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Nimman · Old City · Santitham · Hang Dong
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 Chiang Mai
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
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 Chiang Mai to Ho Chi Minh City: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Chiang Mai to Ho Chi Minh City, your cost of living will be roughly 7% cheaper. Ho Chi Minh City’s cost-of-living index is 45 versus 49 for Chiang Mai (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is about 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai overall — its cost-of-living index is 45 versus 49 for Chiang Mai.
Which is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Ho Chi Minh City?
Chiang Mai is more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City. Its cost-of-living index is 49 vs 45 (US = 100) — about 9% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Chiang Mai or Ho Chi Minh City?
Rent is cheaper in Chiang Mai — about $450/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 Chiang Mai?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Chiang Mai is worth about $69,672 in Ho Chi Minh City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Chiang Mai or Ho Chi Minh City?
Thailand has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 35% in Vietnam.
◷ More comparisons from Chiang Mai
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.