CostTrek

✦ Compare

Ho Chi Minh City vs Tbilisi

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Ho Chi Minh City, VN vs Tbilisi, GE at a glance — Tbilisi, GE is 3% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City, VN overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $500/mo versus $500/mo. Top income tax: 20% vs 35%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Tbilisi, GE, you'd need

$77,228 / year

Tbilisi, GE is 3% more expensive overall

Category breakdown (Tbilisi, GE vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN)

  • Housing+5%
  • Food & groceries+7%
  • Transport0%
  • Utilities0%
  • Healthcare+11%
  • Goods & services0%

◎ How Ho Chi Minh City, VN and Tbilisi, GE compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Ho Chi Minh City, VNTbilisi, GE

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Ho Chi Minh City, VNTbilisi, GE
Cost of living
Overall cost index4546
Housing3840
Food4245
Transport3535
Utilities5555
Healthcare4550
Goods & services5555
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$500/mo$500/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$320/mo$320/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$1,000/mo$1,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$3,500$1,300
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$2,217$2,153
Inexpensive meal$3$5
Monthly transit pass—$12
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)35%20%
VAT / sales tax10%18%
Corporate tax20%15%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$500/mo$600/mo
Minimum wage$200/mo—
GDP per capita$4,347✓$8,120✓
Inflation (annual)3.6%✓2.5%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyModerateModerate
Coworking spaces4025
Time zoneUTC+7UTC+4
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)4859
Safety index6070
Healthcare index5555
Pollution index6560
Internet speed90 Mbps40 Mbps
Walkability4060
Public transport3555
Family-friendly5558
Tap waterUse cautionSafe to drink
Life expectancy75 yr✓73 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceModerateLow
Climate
January avg+27 °C+3 °C
July avg+28 °C+25 °C
Sunny days / year220210
Rainfall / year1,900 mm500 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub2 h3 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Vietnam vs Georgia. 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: Ho Chi Minh City vs Tbilisi — in your currency

Ho Chi Minh CityTbilisi
1-bed rent, city centre$500$500
1-bed rent, outside centre$320$320
Inexpensive meal$3$5
Utilities (monthly)$55$60

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

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

Good to know before you move to Tbilisi

A full year visa-free, a 1% small-business tax and cheap rents have made Georgia's wine-and-sulphur-bath capital a low-tax nomad magnet. Old-town charm and fast growth, weighed against regional geopolitics.

Currency
Georgian lari (₾ GEL)
Languages
Georgian
Time zone
UTC+4
Internet
40 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
70/100
Climate
❄ 3°C · ☀ 25°C · 210 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
C/F · 220V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Vera · Vake · Sololaki · Saburtalo

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Tbilisi: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Tbilisi, your cost of living will be roughly 3% more expensive. Tbilisi’s cost-of-living index is 46 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 Tbilisi?

Tbilisi is about 3% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City overall — its cost-of-living index is 46 versus 45 for Ho Chi Minh City.

Which is more expensive, Ho Chi Minh City or Tbilisi?

Tbilisi is more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City. Its cost-of-living index is 46 vs 45 (US = 100) — about 2% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City or Tbilisi?

Rent is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City — about $500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $500 in Tbilisi.

How much do you need to earn in Tbilisi 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 $77,228 in Tbilisi. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Ho Chi Minh City or Tbilisi?

Georgia has the lower top income-tax rate — 20% versus 35% in Vietnam.

◷ More comparisons from Ho Chi Minh City

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.