---
title: "Ho Chi Minh City vs Hoi An for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ho-chi-minh-city-vs-hoi-an
description: "Under balanced weights Ho Chi Minh City edges it, 54 to 49, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Ho Chi Minh City is stronger on climate, cost of living; Hoi An on nothing outright. 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
---

# Ho Chi Minh City vs Hoi An for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Ho Chi Minh City edges it, 54 to 49, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Ho Chi Minh City is stronger on climate, cost of living; Hoi An on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 84 | 72 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Safety | 68 | 68 | tie |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 | tie |
| Internet | 59 | no data | — |
| Visa ease | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 20 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Climate | 33 | 17 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Air quality | 59 | 63 | Hoi An |
| Quality of life | 58 | 58 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $677 | $900 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $684 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.9 | 1.9 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 66 | 66 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 71 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 73.8 yrs | 73.8 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 26.2 Mbps | no data | — |
| Upload | 22.2 Mbps | no data | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 45 days | 45 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 45 days | 45 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 94 | 36 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | Hoi An |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Ho Chi Minh City |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 2 | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.5 µg/m³ | 21.5 µg/m³ | Hoi An |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Hoi An?

Ho Chi Minh City is cheaper: about $677 per month versus $900 for one person.

### Is Ho Chi Minh City or Hoi An safer?

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

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

M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.

City pages: [Ho Chi Minh City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ho-chi-minh-city) · [Hoi An](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hoi-an). 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ho-chi-minh-city-vs-hoi-an