Ho Chi Minh City vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) · Overall index 29.5 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 12% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 34% cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Telecom in Chiang Mai is 14% cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City.
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -34% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $741 | $477 | -36% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $436 | $325 | -25% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,271 | $805 | -37% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $868 | $542 | -38% |
| Groceries | -6% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.57 | $0.53 | -7% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.45 | $1.44 | -1% |
| Rice (1kg) | $1.93 | $1.68 | -13% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.95 | $1.78 | -9% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $4.97 | $4.79 | -4% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $4.83 | $4.84 | 0% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $6.75 | $6.72 | 0% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.06 | $2.14 | +4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.76 | $0.79 | +4% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.95 | $1.82 | -7% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.16 | $2.21 | +2% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.18 | $1.07 | -9% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.2 | $0.94 | -22% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.07 | $0.93 | -13% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.86 | $0.87 | +1% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.67 | $5.67 | -15% |
| Transport | -11% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.91 | $0.71 | -22% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $39.1 | $38.2 | -2% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.37 | $1.11 | -19% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.63 | $0.56 | -11% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.31 | $0.29 | -6% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $8,896 | $8,510 | -4% |
| Dining out | -1% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.74 | $6.98 | +4% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $36.2 | $40 | +10% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.98 | $3.87 | -3% |
| Cappuccino | $1.69 | $1.62 | -4% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.8 | $0.9 | +12% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.33 | $2.41 | +3% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.9 | $2.63 | -9% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.76 | $0.64 | -16% |
| Telecom | -14% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $29.9 | $24.9 | -17% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $31 | $26.6 | -14% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.15 | $0.15 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.72 | $6.1 | -21% |
| Utilities & household | -7% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $70.5 | $67.6 | -4% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.09 | $0.08 | -11% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.02 | $1.58 | -22% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.54 | $0.56 | +4% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $9.37 | $8.03 | -14% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $35.2 | $32.5 | -8% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $5.4 | $6.4 | +19% |
| Men's haircut | $13.2 | $10.6 | -20% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $10.2 | $9.66 | -5% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $800 | $810 | +1% |
3,359 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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