CostTrek

✦ Compare

Ho Chi Minh City vs Warsaw

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 Warsaw, PL at a glance — Warsaw, PL is 60% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City, VN overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $900/mo versus $500/mo. Top income tax: 32% vs 35%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Warsaw, PL, you'd need

$119,791 / year

Warsaw, PL is 60% more expensive overall

Category breakdown (Warsaw, PL vs Ho Chi Minh City, VN)

  • Housing+89%
  • Food & groceries+67%
  • Transport+57%
  • Utilities+82%
  • Healthcare+44%
  • Goods & services+35%

◎ How Ho Chi Minh City, VN and Warsaw, PL compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Ho Chi Minh City, VNWarsaw, PL

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

▤ Full comparison

Ho Chi Minh City, VNWarsaw, PL
Cost of living
Overall cost index4572
Housing3872
Food4270
Transport3555
Utilities55100
Healthcare4565
Goods & services5574
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$500/mo$900/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$320/mo$650/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$1,000/mo$1,700/mo
Buy price / m² centre$3,500$4,000
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$2,217$1,388
Inexpensive meal$3$8
Monthly transit pass—$30
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)35%32%
VAT / sales tax10%23%
Corporate tax20%19%
Capital gains—19%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$500/mo$1,200/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)—$49,074✓
Minimum wage$200/mo$1,297/mo✓
GDP per capita$4,347✓$28,420✓
Inflation (annual)3.6%✓3.8%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoNo
English proficiencyModerateModerate
Coworking spaces4050
Time zoneUTC+7UTC+1
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)4867
Safety index6068
Healthcare index5572
Pollution index6555
Internet speed90 Mbps150 Mbps
Walkability4080
Public transport3582
Family-friendly5568
Tap waterUse cautionSafe to drink
Life expectancy75 yr✓78 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceModerateLow
Climate
January avg+27 °C-2 °C
July avg+28 °C+19 °C
Sunny days / year22090
Rainfall / year1,900 mm550 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub2 h1.5 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Vietnam vs Poland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Ho Chi Minh City vs Warsaw — in your currency

Ho Chi Minh CityWarsaw
1-bed rent, city centre$500$900
1-bed rent, outside centre$320$650
Inexpensive meal$3$8
Utilities (monthly)$55$200

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 Warsaw

Central Europe's fastest-rising business hub — modern, safe and affordable, with cold winters.

Currency
Polish złoty (zł PLN)
Languages
Polish
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
150 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
68/100
Climate
❄ -2°C · ☀ 19°C · 90 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
E · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Śródmieście · Praga · Mokotów

? Frequently asked questions

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

Moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Warsaw, your cost of living will be roughly 60% more expensive. Warsaw’s cost-of-living index is 72 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 Warsaw?

Warsaw is about 60% more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City overall — its cost-of-living index is 72 versus 45 for Ho Chi Minh City.

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

Warsaw is more expensive than Ho Chi Minh City. Its cost-of-living index is 72 vs 45 (US = 100) — about 60% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City or Warsaw?

Rent is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City — about $500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $900 in Warsaw.

How much do you need to earn in Warsaw 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 $119,791 in Warsaw. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

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

Poland has the lower top income-tax rate — 32% 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.