β¦ Compare
Ho Chi Minh City vs
Osaka
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 Osaka, JP, you'd need
$159,826 / year
Osaka, JP is 113% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Osaka, JP vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN)
- Housing+142%
- Food & groceries+133%
- Transport+134%
- Utilities+100%
- Healthcare+89%
- Goods & services+89%
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Ho Chi Minh City, VN overview β
Median 1-bed rent
$850 /mo
Osaka, JP overview β
β How Ho Chi Minh City, VN and Osaka, JP compare
Index vs the US average β the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
β€ Full comparison
| Ho Chi Minh City, VN | Osaka, JP | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 45 | 96 |
| Housing | 38 | 92 |
| Food | 42 | 98 |
| Transport | 35 | 82 |
| Utilities | 55 | 110 |
| Healthcare | 45 | 85 |
| Goods & services | 55 | 104 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $500/mo | $850/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $320/mo | $600/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,000/mo | $1,600/mo |
| Buy price / mΒ² centre | $3,500 | $6,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $2,217 | $1,040 |
| Inexpensive meal | $3 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | β | $60 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 35% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 20% | 30% |
| Capital gains | β | 20.3% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $500/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Minimum wage | $200/mo | $1,300/mo |
| GDP per capita | $4,347 | $35,951 |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 40 | 25 |
| Time zone | UTC+7 | UTC+9 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 60 | 82 |
| Healthcare index | 55 | 84 |
| Pollution index | 65 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 90 Mbps | 230 Mbps |
| Walkability | 40 | 80 |
| Public transport | 35 | 88 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 72 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 75 yr | 84 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +27 Β°C | +6 Β°C |
| July avg | +28 Β°C | +28 Β°C |
| Sunny days / year | 220 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,900 mm | 1,300 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Vietnam vs Japan. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon runs on motorbikes, coffee and relentless energy β 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 (β« VND)
- Languages
- Vietnamese
- Time zone
- UTC+7
- Internet
- 90 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 60/100
- Climate
- β 27Β°C Β· β 28Β°C Β· 220 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- A/C/F Β· 220V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- District 1 Β· Thao Dien Β· Binh Thanh Β· Phu Nhuan
Good to know before you move to Osaka
Japan's warm, wisecracking second city and its street-food heart β cheaper and more laid-back than Tokyo, with the same safety, transit and reliability. The gateway to Kansai (Kyoto and Kobe are minutes away), it's an easy-going base with a big food and startup scene.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (Β₯ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 230 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- β 6Β°C Β· β 28Β°C Β· 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B Β· 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Namba Β· Umeda Β· Tennoji Β· Nakazakicho
Plan your move to Ho Chi Minh City
Everything you will book for the move β sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Scooter rentalBikesBooking
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Osaka
Everything you will book for the move β sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Osaka: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Osaka, your cost of living will be roughly 113% more expensive. Osakaβs cost-of-living index is 96 versus 45 for Ho Chi Minh City (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income youβd need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Ho Chi Minh City cheaper than Osaka?
Osaka is about 113% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City overall β its cost-of-living index is 96 versus 45 for Ho Chi Minh City.
How much do you need to earn in Osaka 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 $159,826 in Osaka. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Ho Chi Minh City or Osaka?
Vietnam has the lower top income-tax rate β 35% versus 45% in Japan.
β· More comparisons from Ho Chi Minh City
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.