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Mohamed Oun
Ho Chi Minh City
#120 of 124
Asia

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Ho Chi Minh City compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Ho Chi Minh City is 75% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Ho Chi Minh City compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$13,879
-$259K (-95%) vs San Francisco
Based on 196 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$10,270
-$163K (-94%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 26%

Community Insights

New
6.2/10

Ho Chi Minh City offers a polarizing experience for software engineers. For those with remote US/EU jobs, it is a financial paradise where "geo-arbitrage" allows for a life of luxury, savings, and travel. The city is electric, filled with amazing food, coffee, and a young, energetic population. However, for engineers relying on the local job market, the salaries are uncompetitive globally, and the work culture in local outsourcing firms can be hierarchical and frustrating.

The environment is the biggest trade-off: residents sacrifice clean air and quiet for low costs and excitement. The pollution is a serious long-term health concern, and the chaotic traffic makes daily movement stressful. While the social life is top-tier, the lack of nature and walkability wears on many expats over time.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Cost of Living

Top 4%

#5

of 124 cities

21/100

Current value (lower is better)

Tax Rate

Top 22%

#27

of 124 cities

26%

Current value (lower is better)

Community Events

Middle of the pack

#64

of 124 cities

8 events on luma

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Ho Chi Minh City compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$3,072 / m²
69% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Ho Chi Minh City to maintain the same standard of living.

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Cost of Living
76% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Ho Chi Minh City

Axon logo
Axon
Employment Hero logo
Employment Hero
Microsoft logo
Microsoft
Extreme purchasing power for remote workers; a Western salary provides a luxury lifestyle (maid service, modern high-rise, daily dining out) for a fraction of the cost back home.
  • Vibrant, chaotic energy and social scene; highly active expat community, endless cafes, and a 24/7 nightlife culture that appeals to younger engineers.
  • Incredible food culture; access to diverse, affordable, and high-quality street food and international cuisine at all hours.
  • Travel hub; Tan Son Nhat airport offers cheap and quick connections to the rest of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Bali) for weekend trips.
  • Coffee culture is world-class, making it easy to find work-friendly cafes with reliable Wi-Fi for coding sessions.

    • The Bad

    • Severe air pollution; consistently ranks among the worst globally (AQI often 150+), causing respiratory issues (
    • Chaotic and dangerous traffic; lack of walkability and public transport forces reliance on motorbikes or Grab, with high accident rates and constant noise.
    • Low local salary cap; local tech wages are drastically lower than Western standards (often under $2k/month for seniors), making the city financially viable mainly for remote workers.
    • Visa bureaucracy; no official "Digital Nomad" visa exists, forcing many into "visa runs" every 3 months or navigating complex work permit processes for local jobs.
    • Noise pollution is pervasive; construction, karaoke, and traffic noise are constant, making it difficult to find truly quiet environments for deep work.

    Moving Here

    Moderate

    Moving is moderately accessible but legally grey for many. Most tech workers rely on 3-month tourist e-visas (requiring regular border runs), as proper Work Permits are bureaucratic and require legalized degrees/sponsorship. English is widely spoken in the tech sector and expat districts (Thao Dien), but less so in local administrative settings. The expat community is massive and welcoming, making social integration very easy.

    Who Is This City For?

    Best for single, remote-working digital nomads (earning USD/EUR) in their 20s/30s who prioritize social life, food, and savings over health metrics.

    Avoid if you are asthmatic, have a young family (due to pollution/safety), or are a junior engineer looking for high-paying local employment.

    Updated 1/20/2026

    Weather1.5/10-83% vs San Francisco
    Safety50+27%
    Pollution92+88%
    Events8-90%
    1.5/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

    0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

    Weather snapshot

    Average High
    32°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
    Average Low
    24°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
    Sunshine Hours
    2,489h/yr-573h/yr(-19%)
    Hottest Month High
    34°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
    Coldest Month Low
    22°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
    Rainy Days
    112/yr+63/yr(+130%)

    Community & Quality

    Ho Chi Minh City community pulse

    Ho Chi Minh City has 8 Luma events listed.

    90% fewer events than San Francisco.

    Safety Index

    Middle of the pack

    #79

    of 124 cities

    50.1/100

    Current value

    Comfortable Weather

    Bottom 10%

    #113

    of 124 cities

    15/100 weather score

    Current value

    Home Affordability

    Bottom 6%

    #118

    of 124 cities

    ≈23.9 yrs to buy 80m²

    Current value

    Purchasing Power

    Bottom 4%

    #120

    of 124 cities

    Net Income

    Bottom 3%

    #122

    of 124 cities

    $10,270/yr

    Current value

    Pollution Score

    Bottom 1%

    #124

    of 124 cities

    92.1/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    SWE Affordability
    23.9 years
    19.3 years longer than San Francisco
    Muggy Days
    349/yr+348/yr(+174200%)
    Cloud Cover
    77%(vs 34% in San Francisco)