City comparison
Cost of living in Chiang Mai vs Ho Chi Minh City
One person needs about €705 a month in Chiang Mai and €799 in Ho Chi Minh City, rent included — Chiang Mai is 13% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Ho Chi Minh City the way you live in Chiang Mai on €3,000, you need
€3,400/ month net
13% more than today (+€400)
- Chiang Mai today
- Basket €705 · left over €2,295 (77%)
- Ho Chi Minh City at the matched salary
- Basket €799 · left over €2,601 (77%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 163% over in Ho Chi Minh City (adequate) vs 170% in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
The classic low-burn base — unbeatable food costs, with a smoky burning season each spring.
Monthly budget: €705
Sources: Thailand NSO + Bank of Thailand, CPI & provincial wage survey (2025) · 209 community reports
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City
Very low burn rate and a fast-growing dev scene; visas need planning.
Monthly budget: €799
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Chiang Mai or Ho Chi Minh City?
On salary, Ho Chi Minh City pays more for tech roles (€1,300 versus €1,200 a month), so the money left over after costs is €501 in Ho Chi Minh City at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €380 in Chiang Mai against €480 in Ho Chi Minh City. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Chiang Mai at 78 and Ho Chi Minh City at 77 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.