---
title: "Colombo vs Ho Chi Minh City for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/colombo-vs-ho-chi-minh-city
description: "Under balanced weights Ho Chi Minh City edges it, 54 to 47, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Colombo is stronger on nothing outright; Ho Chi Minh City on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Colombo vs Ho Chi Minh City for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Ho Chi Minh City edges it, 54 to 47, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Colombo is stronger on nothing outright; Ho Chi Minh City on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 75 | 84 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Safety | 63 | 68 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Healthcare | 71 | 65 | Colombo |
| Internet | 26 | 59 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Visa ease | 34 | 33 | Colombo |
| Getting there & around | 16 | 23 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Climate | 25 | 33 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Air quality | 59 | 59 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Quality of life | 52 | 58 | Ho Chi Minh City |

## Cost

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $833 | $677 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $684 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 | 1.9 | Colombo |
| Political stability (0–100) | 59.9 | 66 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 72 | 71 | Colombo |
| Life expectancy | 77.2 yrs | 73.8 yrs | Colombo |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 7.2 Mbps | 26.2 Mbps | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Upload | 2 Mbps | 22.2 Mbps | Ho Chi Minh City |

## Visa

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital Nomad | none listed | Colombo |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,999/mo | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | 45 days | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | 45 days | Ho Chi Minh City |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 45 | 94 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Colombo | Ho Chi Minh City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 4 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.6 µg/m³ | 23.5 µg/m³ | Ho Chi Minh City |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Colombo or Ho Chi Minh City?

Ho Chi Minh City is cheaper: about $677 per month versus $833 for one person.

### Is Colombo or Ho Chi Minh City safer?

Ho Chi Minh City scores higher on safety (68 vs 63), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Colombo or Ho Chi Minh City?

Ho Chi Minh City: a measured median of 26.2 Mbps versus 7.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Colombo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/colombo) · [Ho Chi Minh City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ho-chi-minh-city). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

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