Back to Resources

    Ho Chi Minh City vs Lisbon: A Complete Data-Driven Comparison

    ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Vietnam ยท $900/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad
    ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น

    Lisbon

    Portugal ยท $1,800/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad

    Choosing between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Lisbon, Portugal is one of the most common dilemmas facing digital nomads, expats, and remote workers in 2026. Both cities offer unique advantages. But the right choice depends entirely on your priorities, budget, and lifestyle preferences.

    In this comprehensive comparison, we analyze Ho Chi Minh City and Lisbon across 12 critical categories: Economic Factors, Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Connectivity, Housing & Living Spaces, and 8 more categories. Each category is scored on a 0-100 scale using data from over 20 verified sources, including Numbeo, WHO, Speedtest, and local government statistics.

    Ho Chi Minh City earns an overall score of 70.62/100, while Lisbon scores 79.06/100. A 8.44-point modest gap that Lisbon leads. But headline scores never tell the full story. Let's break down exactly where each city excels and where it falls short.

    Ho Chi Minh City is described as: "Vietnam's economic engine. Rock-bottom costs and an exploding cafรฉ culture for remote workers." Meanwhile, Lisbon is known as: "Europe's sunniest capital with a booming tech scene. Affordable, vibrant, and welcoming to nomads." These reputations are earned. But how do they hold up under rigorous data analysis? Read on.

    Economic Factors

    Ho Chi Minh City

    75
    / 100

    Lisbon

    74

    In economic factors, Ho Chi Minh City takes the lead with a score of 75/100 compared to 74/100. This category covers employment & income, cost factors, economic environment.

    Ho Chi Minh City has a solid advantage in cost factors (84 vs 71).

    Ho Chi Minh City stands out for daily living costs, healthcare costs, transportation costs, though salary levels and education costs could be improved. Lisbon performs well in currency stability and freelance/remote work market despite the overall gap.

    Employment & Income

    Ho Chi Minh City

    66
    / 100

    Lisbon

    71

    Job Market Strength

    62/ 10068

    Salary Levels

    45/ 10048

    Freelance/Remote Work Market

    82/ 10087

    Entrepreneurship Environment

    73/ 10082

    Cost Factors

    Ho Chi Minh City

    84
    / 100

    Lisbon

    71

    Housing Costs

    88/ 10038

    Daily Living Costs

    93/ 10078

    Transportation Costs

    90/ 10085

    Entertainment Costs

    88/ 10080

    Healthcare Costs

    92/ 10082

    Education Costs

    55/ 10062

    Economic Environment

    Ho Chi Minh City

    71
    / 100

    Lisbon

    79

    Tax Rates

    68/ 10062

    Business Regulations

    62/ 10072

    Economic Stability

    78/ 10086

    Currency Stability

    72/ 10094

    Banking System

    76/ 10082

    Quality of Life

    Ho Chi Minh City

    60
    / 100

    Lisbon

    81

    In quality of life, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 81/100 compared to 60/100. This category covers healthcare, education, safety & environment, climate & nature.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in healthcare (76 vs 65). Lisbon has a commanding lead in safety & environment (79 vs 54). Lisbon has a commanding lead in climate & nature (89 vs 56).

    Lisbon stands out for climate suitability, sunshine hours, natural beauty, though mental health services and noise pollution could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in healthcare affordability and political stability despite the overall gap.

    Healthcare

    Ho Chi Minh City

    65
    / 100

    Lisbon

    76

    Healthcare Quality

    64/ 10078

    Healthcare Accessibility

    68/ 10076

    Healthcare Affordability

    89/ 10084

    English-Speaking Medical Staff

    62/ 10079

    Mental Health Services

    38/ 10067

    Dental Care

    68/ 10074

    Education

    Ho Chi Minh City

    68
    / 100

    Lisbon

    76

    School Quality

    58/ 10071

    International Schools

    72/ 10086

    Universities

    68/ 10074

    Language Schools

    78/ 10082

    Vocational Training

    62/ 10069

    Safety & Environment

    Ho Chi Minh City

    54
    / 100

    Lisbon

    79

    Crime Rates

    52/ 10079

    Personal Safety

    51/ 10081

    Political Stability

    82/ 10089

    Natural Disaster Risk

    68/ 10071

    Air Quality

    28/ 10079

    Water Quality

    55/ 10089

    Noise Pollution

    42/ 10068

    Climate & Nature

    Ho Chi Minh City

    56
    / 100

    Lisbon

    89

    Climate Suitability

    59/ 10094

    Sunshine Hours

    68/ 10093

    Rainfall Patterns

    48/ 10084

    Natural Beauty

    72/ 10093

    Green Spaces

    52/ 10084

    Beach/Water Access

    78/ 10092

    Mountains/Hiking

    18/ 10083

    Infrastructure & Connectivity

    Ho Chi Minh City

    72
    / 100

    Lisbon

    83

    In infrastructure & connectivity, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 83/100 compared to 72/100. This category covers transportation, connectivity, digital infrastructure.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in transportation (79 vs 65). Lisbon has a solid advantage in connectivity (85 vs 68).

    Lisbon stands out for internet speed, airport distance, mobile network quality, though driving conditions and bike infrastructure could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in public transport affordability and internet speed despite the overall gap.

    Transportation

    Ho Chi Minh City

    65
    / 100

    Lisbon

    79

    Public Transport Quality

    63/ 10084

    Public Transport Coverage

    72/ 10081

    Public Transport Affordability

    94/ 10089

    Bike Infrastructure

    35/ 10071

    Walkability

    53/ 10076

    Traffic Congestion

    48/ 10079

    Driving Conditions

    42/ 10069

    Taxi/Rideshare

    93/ 10081

    Car Ownership Necessity

    82/ 10079

    Connectivity

    Ho Chi Minh City

    68
    / 100

    Lisbon

    85

    Airport Connectivity

    82/ 10089

    Airport Distance

    88/ 10093

    Train Connections

    38/ 10079

    Bus Connections

    78/ 10080

    Ferry Connections

    52/ 10084

    Digital Infrastructure

    Ho Chi Minh City

    85
    / 100

    Lisbon

    89

    Internet Speed

    94/ 10094

    Internet Reliability

    82/ 10091

    Internet Cost

    93/ 10089

    Mobile Network Quality

    91/ 10093

    Coworking Spaces

    83/ 10089

    Public WiFi

    68/ 10079

    Housing & Living Spaces

    Ho Chi Minh City

    73
    / 100

    Lisbon

    65

    In housing & living spaces, Ho Chi Minh City takes the lead with a score of 73/100 compared to 65/100. This category covers housing market, neighborhoods.

    Ho Chi Minh City has a solid advantage in housing market (69 vs 57).

    Ho Chi Minh City stands out for rental costs, expat/international areas, proximity to amenities, though purchase prices and landlord regulations could be improved. Lisbon performs well in proximity to amenities and expat/international areas despite the overall gap.

    Housing Market

    Ho Chi Minh City

    69
    / 100

    Lisbon

    57

    Rental Availability

    82/ 10053

    Rental Costs

    89/ 10039

    Purchase Prices

    42/ 10041

    Housing Quality

    64/ 10071

    Housing Variety

    76/ 10076

    Landlord Regulations

    58/ 10064

    Neighborhoods

    Ho Chi Minh City

    80
    / 100

    Lisbon

    77

    Neighborhood Diversity

    78/ 10081

    Expat/International Areas

    88/ 10087

    Gentrification Trends

    65/ 10052

    Proximity to Amenities

    87/ 10090

    Daily Life & Services

    Ho Chi Minh City

    82
    / 100

    Lisbon

    82

    In daily life & services, Ho Chi Minh City takes the lead with a score of 82/100 compared to 82/100. This category covers shopping & retail, food & dining, essential services, utilities & connectivity.

    Ho Chi Minh City stands out for street food, restaurant variety, food delivery, though postal services and waste management could be improved. Lisbon performs well in restaurant variety and cafรฉ culture despite the overall gap.

    Shopping & Retail

    Ho Chi Minh City

    82
    / 100

    Lisbon

    78

    Supermarket Availability

    88/ 10086

    Shopping Mall Quantity

    78/ 10071

    Shopping Mall Quality

    72/ 10072

    International Brands

    75/ 10079

    Local Markets

    93/ 10089

    Opening Hours

    84/ 10071

    E-commerce

    82/ 10081

    Food & Dining

    Ho Chi Minh City

    90
    / 100

    Lisbon

    87

    Restaurant Variety

    94/ 10094

    Restaurant Quality

    89/ 10090

    Restaurant Affordability

    93/ 10079

    Cafรฉ Culture

    84/ 10091

    Street Food

    96/ 10086

    Alcohol Availability

    82/ 10088

    Food Delivery

    94/ 10084

    Essential Services

    Ho Chi Minh City

    80
    / 100

    Lisbon

    80

    Pharmacy Density

    93/ 10088

    24-Hour Pharmacies

    78/ 10079

    Medicine Availability

    82/ 10085

    Postal Services

    62/ 10071

    Banking Services

    84/ 10084

    Laundry Services

    89/ 10079

    Repair Services

    78/ 10074

    Hair Salons/Barbers

    88/ 10084

    Pet Services

    68/ 10079

    Utilities & Connectivity

    Ho Chi Minh City

    74
    / 100

    Lisbon

    83

    Electricity Reliability

    79/ 10086

    Water Reliability

    74/ 10089

    Utility Costs

    88/ 10074

    Heating/Cooling

    65/ 10086

    Waste Management

    63/ 10079

    Cultural & Social Life

    Ho Chi Minh City

    70
    / 100

    Lisbon

    82

    In cultural & social life, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 82/100 compared to 70/100. This category covers culture & entertainment, social life, community.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in culture & entertainment (84 vs 68). Lisbon has a solid advantage in social life (84 vs 69).

    Lisbon stands out for historical sites, lgbtq+ scene, museums & galleries, though language barriers and expat integration could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in historical sites and expat community size despite the overall gap.

    Culture & Entertainment

    Ho Chi Minh City

    68
    / 100

    Lisbon

    84

    Museums & Galleries

    68/ 10091

    Historical Sites

    85/ 10094

    Theaters & Performing Arts

    52/ 10081

    Music Scene

    72/ 10086

    Cinema Options

    78/ 10079

    Libraries

    60/ 10074

    Art Scene

    64/ 10085

    Social Life

    Ho Chi Minh City

    69
    / 100

    Lisbon

    84

    Nightlife Quality

    83/ 10090

    Nightlife Safety

    58/ 10081

    Festival Calendar

    78/ 10085

    Sports Culture

    70/ 10076

    Social Clubs

    72/ 10080

    Dating Scene

    78/ 10081

    LGBTQ+ Scene

    42/ 10092

    Community

    Ho Chi Minh City

    73
    / 100

    Lisbon

    78

    Local Friendliness

    84/ 10081

    Expat Community Size

    85/ 10089

    Expat Integration

    71/ 10071

    Language Barriers

    48/ 10064

    Cultural Events

    76/ 10086

    Professional & Career

    Ho Chi Minh City

    74
    / 100

    Lisbon

    81

    In professional & career, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 81/100 compared to 74/100. This category covers business environment, work environment, market opportunities.

    Lisbon stands out for internet for work, coworking culture, remote work acceptance, though competition level and major companies could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in internet for work and coworking culture despite the overall gap.

    Business Environment

    Ho Chi Minh City

    72
    / 100

    Lisbon

    80

    Industry Clusters

    70/ 10076

    Major Companies

    72/ 10071

    Startup Ecosystem

    74/ 10085

    Coworking Culture

    81/ 10090

    Professional Networking

    68/ 10081

    Business Associations

    65/ 10075

    Work Environment

    Ho Chi Minh City

    77
    / 100

    Lisbon

    86

    Work-Life Balance

    59/ 10081

    Remote Work Acceptance

    79/ 10089

    Internet for Work

    93/ 10094

    Time Zone

    74/ 10084

    Business Visa Options

    78/ 10081

    Market Opportunities

    Ho Chi Minh City

    72
    / 100

    Lisbon

    74

    Client Base

    73/ 10072

    Freelance Market

    81/ 10086

    Competition Level

    62/ 10063

    Lifestyle & Pace

    Ho Chi Minh City

    69
    / 100

    Lisbon

    75

    In lifestyle & pace, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 75/100 compared to 69/100. This category covers daily rhythm, lifestyle options, tourism impact.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in lifestyle options (79 vs 63).

    Lisbon stands out for outdoor lifestyle, pace of life, tourist infrastructure, though crowding and tourist volume could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in shop opening hours and dining hours despite the overall gap.

    Daily Rhythm

    Ho Chi Minh City

    74
    / 100

    Lisbon

    80

    Pace of Life

    62/ 10086

    Working Hours Culture

    64/ 10076

    Dining Hours

    82/ 10085

    Shop Opening Hours

    85/ 10071

    Weekend Culture

    76/ 10081

    Lifestyle Options

    Ho Chi Minh City

    63
    / 100

    Lisbon

    79

    Outdoor Lifestyle

    54/ 10091

    Fitness Culture

    66/ 10079

    Health Consciousness

    58/ 10071

    Pet Friendliness

    64/ 10080

    Family Orientation

    71/ 10076

    Tourism Impact

    Ho Chi Minh City

    70
    / 100

    Lisbon

    66

    Tourist Volume

    65/ 10058

    Tourism Seasonality

    82/ 10069

    Tourist Infrastructure

    76/ 10086

    Authenticity

    79/ 10067

    Crowding

    48/ 10051

    Legal & Administrative

    Ho Chi Minh City

    59
    / 100

    Lisbon

    78

    In legal & administrative, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 78/100 compared to 59/100. This category covers visa & residency, administration, rights & freedoms.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in visa & residency (82 vs 65). Lisbon has a solid advantage in administration (69 vs 59). Lisbon has a commanding lead in rights & freedoms (84 vs 54).

    Lisbon stands out for lgbtq+ rights, deportation risk, residency options, though bureaucracy level and language requirements could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in visa requirements and deportation risk despite the overall gap.

    Visa & Residency

    Ho Chi Minh City

    65
    / 100

    Lisbon

    82

    Visa Requirements

    84/ 10086

    Residency Options

    73/ 10089

    Residency Process

    54/ 10066

    Citizenship Pathway

    35/ 10079

    Deportation Risk

    79/ 10090

    Administration

    Ho Chi Minh City

    59
    / 100

    Lisbon

    69

    Bureaucracy Level

    41/ 10061

    Digital Government

    58/ 10071

    Document Requirements

    59/ 10069

    Language Requirements

    72/ 10064

    Legal System

    63/ 10081

    Rights & Freedoms

    Ho Chi Minh City

    54
    / 100

    Lisbon

    84

    Freedom of Speech

    32/ 10086

    Religious Freedom

    71/ 10089

    Women's Rights

    68/ 10074

    LGBTQ+ Rights

    39/ 10093

    Worker Rights

    58/ 10079

    Family & Children

    Ho Chi Minh City

    71
    / 100

    Lisbon

    76

    In family & children, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 76/100 compared to 71/100. This category covers child-friendly infrastructure, family services.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in child-friendly infrastructure (80 vs 67).

    Lisbon stands out for child safety, kid activities, playgrounds, though childcare costs and childcare availability could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in childcare costs and childcare availability despite the overall gap.

    Child-Friendly Infrastructure

    Ho Chi Minh City

    67
    / 100

    Lisbon

    80

    Playgrounds

    68/ 10080

    Kid Activities

    71/ 10081

    Child Safety

    59/ 10085

    Pediatric Care

    69/ 10079

    Baby/Toddler Facilities

    66/ 10074

    Family Services

    Ho Chi Minh City

    76
    / 100

    Lisbon

    72

    Childcare Availability

    79/ 10071

    Childcare Costs

    87/ 10061

    School Holidays

    70/ 10076

    Extracurricular Activities

    68/ 10079

    Family Housing

    74/ 10071

    Practical Considerations

    Ho Chi Minh City

    73
    / 100

    Lisbon

    78

    In practical considerations, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 78/100 compared to 73/100. This category covers transportation costs, special services, communication, emergency services.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in emergency services (82 vs 71).

    Lisbon stands out for emergency numbers, gas station density, international calling, though vehicle costs and ev infrastructure could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in gas station density and emergency numbers despite the overall gap.

    Transportation Costs

    Ho Chi Minh City

    77
    / 100

    Lisbon

    72

    Fuel Prices

    86/ 10071

    Gas Station Density

    89/ 10085

    EV Infrastructure

    45/ 10069

    Vehicle Costs

    84/ 10064

    Vehicle Maintenance

    82/ 10071

    Special Services

    Ho Chi Minh City

    71
    / 100

    Lisbon

    79

    Moving Services

    71/ 10079

    Storage Facilities

    64/ 10074

    Translation Services

    79/ 10081

    Legal Services

    71/ 10080

    Accounting Services

    69/ 10079

    Communication

    Ho Chi Minh City

    72
    / 100

    Lisbon

    80

    Postal Reliability

    61/ 10071

    Package Import

    66/ 10081

    Language Learning

    77/ 10084

    International Calling

    84/ 10085

    Emergency Services

    Ho Chi Minh City

    71
    / 100

    Lisbon

    82

    Emergency Response

    64/ 10080

    Emergency Healthcare

    73/ 10084

    Emergency Numbers

    88/ 10090

    Natural Disaster Preparedness

    59/ 10074

    Specific to Your Profile

    Ho Chi Minh City

    69
    / 100

    Lisbon

    82

    In specific to your profile, Lisbon takes the lead with a score of 82/100 compared to 69/100. This category covers remote work specific, personal circumstances.

    Lisbon has a solid advantage in personal circumstances (79 vs 62).

    Lisbon stands out for video call quality, cafรฉ laptop culture, hobby availability, though language skills and partner citizenship advantages could be improved. Ho Chi Minh City performs well in video call quality and dietary requirements despite the overall gap.

    Remote Work Specific

    Ho Chi Minh City

    79
    / 100

    Lisbon

    87

    Time Zone Alignment

    71/ 10083

    Coworking Day Passes

    80/ 10086

    Cafรฉ Laptop Culture

    86/ 10091

    Video Call Quality

    91/ 10093

    Tech Ecosystem

    69/ 10081

    Personal Circumstances

    Ho Chi Minh City

    62
    / 100

    Lisbon

    79

    Citizenship Advantages

    45/ 10083

    Partner Citizenship Advantages

    50/ 10072

    Industry Presence

    65/ 10076

    Language Skills

    40/ 10063

    Religious/Cultural Fit

    68/ 10081

    Dietary Requirements

    89/ 10085

    Hobby Availability

    76/ 10087

    Pet Import Rules

    62/ 10086

    The Verdict: Ho Chi Minh City or Lisbon?

    With an overall score of 79.06/100 versus 70.62/100, Lisbon leads on paper. But the "better" city ultimately depends on what matters most to you.

    Ho Chi Minh City excels in economic factors, housing & living spaces. Lisbon leads in quality of life, infrastructure & connectivity, cultural & social life.

    Use our interactive comparison tool to drill deeper into specific metrics. No single ranking captures the complexity of choosing a new home. But data-driven analysis gives you the best starting point.

    Dive Deeper with Our Interactive Tool

    See the full data breakdown with live filtering and side-by-side analysis.

    Compare Ho Chi Minh City vs Lisbon Live