Cost of Living: New York vs Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)
How expensive is Vietnam compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and VND — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Price level vs US average
- 29.6 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2024 avg.)
- 1 USD = 24164.9 VND
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 7160.7 VND
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2024); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Vietnam’s national average. Major cities — especially Ho Chi Minh City — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vietnam cheaper than New York?
Yes. Vietnam is 74% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 26, New York = 100).
What salary in Vietnam equals $100,000 in New York?
About $26,325 a year (about ₫636,151,570 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Vietnam as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Ho Chi Minh City more expensive than Vietnam’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Vietnam’s national average price level; large cities such as Ho Chi Minh City typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2024 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.