Edition 9 September 2026
Ho Chi Minh City
A basic month in Ho Chi Minh City runs $708. A comfortable one runs $1,750. Both are totals for one person, all in, including rent, at the rates of 8 September 2026.
No long-stay visa exists
- A basic month
- $708
- A comfortable month
- $1,750
- Visa
- None
- Public transport
- One line
- Air
- Bad Dec–Feb
Who Ho Chi Minh City suits, and who it does not
Choose Ho Chi Minh City if you have a work permit, an investor visa or an employer who handles it. On $1,750 a month you get a one-bedroom in a good building, you eat well every day, and you live in a city that is visibly building itself. Line 1 works. The food is the best value in the region. And this is the one property market here where a cash buyer has a genuine case. Supply in the core is thin, and the city has stopped approving new downtown towers.
Do not choose Ho Chi Minh City if any of the following is you.
- You are a remote worker who wants a proper long-stay visa.
- You hold a US, Canadian, Chinese or Malaysian licence and intend to ride.
- You need to live outside the Line 1 corridor without a scooter.
- You want a registered title deed on your flat.
- You have a respiratory condition and cannot leave in winter.
The guide gives the reason behind each one, with its figures.
Where people actually live
- District 1 — Sai Gon, Ben Thanh, Tan Dinh, Cau Ong Lanh
- District 3 — Xuan Hoa, Ban Co, Nhieu Loc
- Thao Dien and An Phu — An Khanh ward, the former District 2
- Binh Thanh — Thanh My Tay, Gia Dinh, Binh Thanh
- Phu Nhuan — Phu Nhuan, Duc Nhuan, Cau Kieu
- District 7 and Phu My Hung — Tan My, Tan Hung, Tan Thuan, Phu Thuan
- Thu Thiem and Sala — An Khanh ward
- District 4 — Khanh Hoi, Vinh Hoi, Xom Chieu
What each Ho Chi Minh City neighborhood costs, and who it suits
The rest of the city
Compare Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam rules
Edition 9 September 2026. Every figure carries the date it was true and the source it came from. We last changed this page on 21 September 2026.