Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City

Country Full Name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Location: Vietnam is in South Eastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia.

Country Climate: Tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March).

Country Terrain: Low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest.

Major Languages: Vietnamese.

Major Religions: Buddhism.

Population: 7.4 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Vietnam is a developing mixed economy. Over the past 20 years, Vietnam has made a shift from a centrally planned economy to a Socialist-oriented market economy. The economy has experienced rapid growth. Vietnam is in transition from a planned economy to a market-oriented mixed economy.

Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND). Make an international currency transfer to Vietnam.

Inflation: 18.1% (2011 est.).

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the largest city in Vietnam.

The economy of Ho Chi Minh City covers different fields, from mining, seafood processing, agriculture, construction to tourism, finance, industry, trading. It is regarded as the economic centre in Vietnam as it accounts for a high proportion of Vietnam's economy.

The cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is currently ranked 653 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 354 places that are more expensive, and 425 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 737 places that are more expensive, and 42 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 396 places that are more expensive, and 383 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 645 places that are more expensive, and 134 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 394 places that are more expensive, and 385 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 574 places that are more expensive, and 205 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 593 places that are more expensive, and 186 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 355 places that are more expensive, and 424 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 710 places that are more expensive, and 69 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 599 places that are more expensive, and 180 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 738 places that are more expensive, and 41 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 562 places that are more expensive, and 217 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 648 places that are more expensive, and 131 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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