City in Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest city, with 9.7 million residents in 2025 (its boundary before the July 2025 merger with two neighbouring provinces). A 2026 guide describes a large expat community there, and it has international schools such as Saigon South International School. [N1] [E1] [Ho Chi Minh City S1]
- Country
- Vietnam
- Population
- 9,690,830 in 2025. Ho Chi Minh City within its boundary before 1 July 2025, average population (National Statistics Office). The city now also includes the former Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces: 14,002,598 people (Government, June 2025).. [N1] [N2]
- Settings
- In a city [N1]
- Weather
- Warm all year [W1]
Why it is here
Why Ho Chi Minh City is on the list.
A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.
- Ho Chi Minh City has the largest average population of the 63 provinces and cities in the National Statistics Office's 2025 table: 9.69 million, against 8.86 million for Ha Noi. [N1]
- Saigon South International School says it is Ho Chi Minh City's leading American-curriculum school since 1997 and the only one in the city to offer both AP and the IB Diploma. [Ho Chi Minh City S1]
- A January 2024 report says about 27,500 foreign workers hold valid work permits in the city; that counts workers only, not family members, students or retirees. [M1]
- A 2026 expat guide describes a large expat community, estimating more than 100,000 people; it gives no source for the figure. [E1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
97 of 100StrongCountry figure
Price level 0.280 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
0 of 100WeakOwn figure
Ho Chi Minh City's own normals: no month has an average daily high of 30 °C or less (the coolest, December, is 31.6 °C), so 0 comfortable months.
Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Ho Chi Minh City. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
60 of 100MixedCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 41st of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
39 of 100MixedCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 71 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
UnknownCountry figure
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Lifestyle
UnknownCountry figure
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Work and career
15 of 100WeakCountry figure
Weak: we found no residence route for remote workers, and fixed broadband is 23.7 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line. A reported 'Golden Visa' for remote workers is a proposal, not law.
Source: Global immigration and mobility: Vietnam, business travel; Da Nang expat guide; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
15 of 100WeakCountry figure
Weak: we found no residence route for people living on a pension or passive income; reports say Vietnam has no dedicated retirement visa.
Source: Vietnam's retiree visa should attract financially stable individuals (opinion); Da Nang expat guide. Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
53 of 100MixedCountry figure
23.71 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
34 of 100MixedCountry figure
EF EPI 2025 score 500, one point above the 499 weak line, so the score is 34 (the bottom of the mixed band).
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for United States passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for Canada passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for Australia passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
More on Vietnam.
Questions about Ho Chi Minh City.
Is Ho Chi Minh City expensive to live in?
Prices across Vietnam average about 0.28 of US prices (World Bank, 2025). A private guide (verified 13 August 2026) gives one-bedroom rents of VND 10 million to 20 million a month in Thao Dien. Agent adverts seen on 15 October 2026 asked VND 18 million to 32 million in Thao Dien, Thu Thiem and District 1.
How hot is Ho Chi Minh City, and when does it rain?
Average daily highs are 31.6 to 34.9 °C in every month (1991-2020), so no month is at 30 °C or lower. Rain averages over 200 mm a month from May to October, peaking at 273 mm in September, and under 60 mm from December to April.
How many people live in Ho Chi Minh City?
The National Statistics Office counted an average of 9.69 million in 2025, within the city's boundary before 1 July 2025, making it the largest of the 63 pre-merger units. The city now includes Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and the Government gave 14,002,598 people for the merged city in June 2025.
How big is the expat community, and are there international schools?
A January 2024 report says about 27,500 foreign workers hold valid work permits in the city, workers only. A guide estimates 100,000 or more expats without a source. Saigon South International School describes itself as the city's leading American-curriculum school; fees are unknown.
Do I need a visa to live in Ho Chi Minh City?
Visa rules are national. The e-visa lasts up to 90 days and is processed by the Immigration Department in Hanoi, not by embassies. A longer stay needs another visa type, which a law firm's list ties to an employer, investor or other sponsor. Local immigration office details were not found.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [N1] Area, population and population density by province (table E02.01), National Statistics Office of Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026. Average population (thousand people), 2025: Ho Chi Minh City 9,690.83, Ha Noi 8,857.53, Da Nang 1,304.72 (63 provinces and cities, boundaries before the 1 July 2025 mergers). Ho Chi Minh City is the largest of the 63 and Ha Noi the second largest. Read from the PX-Web table on 15 October 2026.
- [E1] Living in Ho Chi Minh City: cost of living, neighborhoods and expat tips, expatlife.ai (private expat guide, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Marked 'Verified August 13, 2026'. Describes 'a fast-growing expat community of 100,000+' with no source for the figure; opinion and description.
- [Ho Chi Minh City S1] SSIS - Saigon South International School, Saigon South International School. Checked 15 October 2026. The school's own site: 'Ho Chi Minh City's leading American curriculum school since 1997'; 'the only one in Ho Chi Minh City to offer both AP and IBDP'; 'the only not-for-profit model PreK-12 international school in Ho Chi Minh City'. These are the school's own claims.
- [N2] Chi tiết 34 đơn vị hành chính cấp tỉnh từ 12/6/2025 (details of the 34 province-level units from 12 June 2025), Báo điện tử Chính phủ (Vietnam Government e-newspaper). Checked 15 October 2026. In Vietnamese. After the mergers: Ho Chi Minh City (with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau) 14,002,598 people; Da Nang (with Quang Nam) 3,065,628; Khanh Hoa (with Ninh Thuan) 2,243,554. Ha Noi is one of the 11 units not merged. The page gives no publication time beyond the 12 June 2025 in its title.
- [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Ho Chi Minh City, World Meteorological Organization (World Weather Information Service). Checked 15 October 2026. Mean daily highs 31.6 to 34.9 °C in every month (coolest December 31.6 °C); coordinates 10.78 N, 106.70 E from the page. Climate period 1991–2020. The page does not name the station.
- [M1] Ho Chi Minh City tightens management of foreign workers, VietnamNet Global (reporting VOV). Checked 15 October 2026. Published 18 January 2024: 'approximately 27,500 foreign workers with valid work permits' in the city. Workers only; excludes family members, students and retirees.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Vietnam, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 28.01 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [Vietnam S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Vietnam ranks 41st of 163 countries.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Vietnam: 71 out of 100 (2023).
- [K1] Global immigration and mobility: Vietnam, business travel, Baker McKenzie (law firm, private; undated page). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists visa types by purpose: investor visas (DT1 to DT4), employee visas (DN1, LD1, LD2), service-provider visas (DN2) and the new UD1 and UD2 visas (up to five years). 'The majority of visas are valid for no more than 12 months'; electronic visas allow a maximum stay of 90 days and are open to citizens of all countries and territories. No visa type for remote workers or for people living on a pension is listed.
- [K3] Da Nang expat guide, Bamboo Routes (private relocation guide, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Last updated 21 September 2026. Says 'Vietnam currently has no dedicated digital-nomad visa and no simple retirement visa'. Written about Da Nang; the visa statement is national.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 23.71 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [R1] Vietnam's retiree visa should attract financially stable individuals (opinion), Tuoi Tre News. Checked 15 October 2026. Published 20 June 2025. Says Vietnam has no dedicated retirement visa, and that a proposed five- and ten-year 'Golden Visa' had not been enacted and was still under discussion. An opinion piece from 2025; no 2026 official text was found.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Vietnam, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 500, rank 64 of 123 countries and regions, 'moderate' proficiency band (read on the page on 15 October 2026); the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.