✦ Compare
Ho Chi Minh City vs
Houston
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 Houston, TX, you'd need
$165,861 / year
Houston, TX is 121% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Houston, TX vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN)
- Housing+163%
- Food & groceries+129%
- Transport+191%
- Utilities+93%
- Healthcare+118%
- Goods & services+80%
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Ho Chi Minh City, VN overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,400 /mo
Houston, TX overview →
▤ Full comparison
| Ho Chi Minh City, VN | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 45 | 100 |
| Housing | 38 | 100 |
| Food | 42 | 96 |
| Transport | 35 | 102 |
| Utilities | 55 | 106 |
| Healthcare | 45 | 98 |
| Goods & services | 55 | 99 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $500/mo | $1,400/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $320/mo | $1,100/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,000/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $3,500 | $3,300 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $2,217 | $1,002 |
| Inexpensive meal | $3 | $16 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $60 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 35% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 20% | 21% |
| Capital gains | — | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $500/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $200/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $4,347 | $90,027 |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.6% | — |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 40 | 45 |
| Time zone | UTC+7 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 60 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 55 | 78 |
| Pollution index | 65 | 50 |
| Internet speed | 90 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 40 | 48 |
| Public transport | 35 | 42 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 62 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | — | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 75 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +27 °C | +12 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +30 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 220 | 204 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,900 mm | 1,260 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Vietnam vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Houston: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Houston, your cost of living will be roughly 121% more expensive. Houston’s cost-of-living index is 100 versus 45 for Ho Chi Minh City (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Ho Chi Minh City cheaper than Houston?
Houston is about 121% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City overall — its cost-of-living index is 100 versus 45 for Ho Chi Minh City.
How much do you need to earn in Houston to live like in Ho Chi Minh City?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Ho Chi Minh City is worth about $165,861 in Houston. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Ho Chi Minh City or Houston?
Vietnam has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from Ho Chi Minh City
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.