Ho Chi Minh City vs Seoul
💰
Ho Chi Minh City saves you $400/month
📶
Seoul has 1x faster internet
🌡️
Tropical Monsoon vs Continental climate
🛂
South Korea offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Ho Chi Minh City
Seoul
Total Budget
$1,400/mo ✓
$1,800/mo
Rent (1BR)
$550/mo ✓
$850/mo
Coworking
$120/mo ✓
$250/mo
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$7
Coffee
$2 ✓
$4.5
Ho Chi Minh City is $400/mo cheaper (22% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City
📶 Internet150 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇰🇷 Seoul
📶 Internet200 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+8
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London3h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Ho Chi Minh City
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp28°C
Rainy Days215/year
Best months: January, February, March, December
Seoul
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp13°C
Rainy Days108/year
Best months: May, June
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
27°-3°
Apr
30°12°
Jul
27°26°
Oct
27°15°
Ho Chi Minh CitySeoul
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇻🇳Ho Chi Minh City
🇰🇷Seoul
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,400
Winner$1,800
📶
Internet Speed
150 Mbps
200 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3.8/5
4.8/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
4.4/10
4.2/10
🍽️
Food Scene
10/10
10/10
🎉
Nightlife
9/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
8/10
Winner👥
Community
large
large
1
Ho Chi Minh City wins
vs
3
Seoul wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Ho Chi Minh City
$400/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Seoul
200 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Seoul
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇻🇳Ho Chi Minh City
Pros
- +Extremely affordable cost of living ($1,000-1,500/mo)
- +World-class street food scene
- +Fast internet (150+ Mbps fiber)
- +Huge cafe culture with work-friendly spots
Cons
- −Intense traffic and chaotic roads
- −Air pollution on bad days
- −Hot and humid year-round
- −Language barrier (limited English)
🇰🇷Seoul
Pros
- +World-class internet infrastructure and 5G coverage
- +Incredibly safe city with very low crime rates
- +Exceptional public transportation system (metro and buses)
- +Amazing food scene from street food to Michelin restaurants
Cons
- −Cold harsh winters can reach -15°C
- −Language barrier - many locals hesitant to speak English
- −Higher cost of living compared to Southeast Asia
- −Hot and humid summers with monsoon rains