🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City vs Las Palmas 🇪🇸
Plenty of remote workers shortlist both Ho Chi Minh City and Las Palmas and then stall. This page settles it with numbers: cost of living, internet, safety, walkability, weather, time zones and visa rules, side by side.
On the map, Ho Chi Minh City is in Vietnam, Las Palmas in Spain. Everything below is scored on the same scale, so you are comparing like with like rather than two tourist brochures.
Short answer
You are paying $600 a month extra for Las Palmas, and in exchange you get a higher overall nomad score (4.4/5 vs 4.2/5). Whether that trade is worth it depends on how tight your budget is.
| Metric | 🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City | 🇪🇸 Las Palmas |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $1,100 ✓ | $1,700 |
| Nomad score | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 ✓ |
| Internet | 4.3/5 ✓ | 4.2/5 |
| Safety | 4/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Walkability | 3.4/5 | 4.3/5 ✓ |
| Fun & nightlife | 4.6/5 ✓ | 4.1/5 |
| Weather | 4/5 | 4.9/5 ✓ |
| Air quality | 2.7/5 | 4.4/5 ✓ |
Cost of living: Ho Chi Minh City vs Las Palmas
Start with money. Living in Ho Chi Minh City costs around $1,100 a month; Las Palmas asks about $1,700 for the same standard of living. That is a 35% difference, or $7,200 a year — enough to fund several months of travel, a serious gear upgrade, or simply a much shorter runway to worry about. Both figures are typical all-in nomad budgets: a one-bedroom rental, groceries and regular restaurant meals, local transport, a mobile data plan and a hot desk at a coworking space. Costs move with season and neighbourhood, so treat these as the midpoint of a realistic range rather than a fixed price.
Time zones and the working day
The time difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Las Palmas is 7 hours — Ho Chi Minh City runs on UTC+7 and Las Palmas on UTC, putting Ho Chi Minh City ahead. A 9–6 day in each city overlaps by only about 2 hours, so one of you is taking calls early or late. Worth checking against your clients before you commit to a lease.
Internet and wifi for remote work
On internet, Ho Chi Minh City is the stronger of the two: 4.3/5 to 4.2/5 for Las Palmas, separated by a rounding error. Connectivity here is scored on three things: what a typical apartment line delivers, how good the mobile network is when it does not, and how workable public wifi is. Both are solid enough for day-to-day remote work; a local data SIM covers you on the odd bad day.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Las Palmas rates higher for safety (4.5/5 versus 4/5) — a narrow but real gap in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. On walkability Las Palmas takes it at 4.3/5 against 3.4/5, which in practice decides whether you can live without a car or a daily ride-hail habit. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Ho Chi Minh City scores 4.6/5 to Las Palmas’s 4.1/5.
Weather and air quality
Las Palmas has the better climate for year-round remote work, 4.9/5 against 4/5 — our weather score rewards mild shoulder seasons and penalises long stretches you would rather not be outside in. Las Palmas sits noticeably further from the equator than Ho Chi Minh City (28° against 11°), which usually means sharper seasons, shorter winter days and a bigger gap between your best and worst months. Air quality is the bigger split: Las Palmas rates 4.4/5 and Ho Chi Minh City 2.7/5. If you run, cycle or have any respiratory sensitivity, that gap is worth more than a few hundred dollars of rent.
Visas and how long you can stay
This is where the two genuinely diverge. Vietnam has no dedicated nomad visa on our index, so a long stay means working within tourist-entry limits or a different permit. Spain offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1-year visa, convertible to a 3-year permit and requiring around $3,000 a month in proven income. Always confirm current rules with the relevant consulate before you book anything long.
Ho Chi Minh City vs Las Palmas: the verdict
- Choose Ho Chi Minh City if your priority is stretching your runway — it is the cheaper base at $1,100 a month, saving you $7,200 a year.
- Choose Las Palmas if you want the higher all-round score (4.4/5 against 4.2/5) and are willing to pay for it.
- Travelling solo, or nervous about a new city? Las Palmas rates higher for safety. Nightlife, events and a bigger nomad crowd point to Ho Chi Minh City. If daily life on foot matters, Las Palmas is built better for it. Chasing the better year-round climate? Las Palmas.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
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Ho Chi Minh City vs Las Palmas: frequently asked questions
Is Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas cheaper for digital nomads?
Ho Chi Minh City is cheaper, at roughly $1,100 a month against $1,700 for Las Palmas — a difference of $7,200 a year. Those are full monthly budgets, not rent alone: a one-bed flat, food, getting around, mobile data and a coworking desk.
What is the time difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Las Palmas?
7 hours. Ho Chi Minh City is on UTC+7 and Las Palmas is on UTC, and a normal 9–6 working day overlaps by about 2 hours.
Which has better internet, Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas?
Ho Chi Minh City rates 4.3/5 for internet and Las Palmas 4.2/5, so Ho Chi Minh City is the safer bet if you live on video calls.
Which is safer, Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas?
Las Palmas scores 4.5/5 for safety and Ho Chi Minh City scores 4/5, giving Las Palmas the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Las Palmas leads with a 4.4/5 nomad score against 4.2/5 for Ho Chi Minh City. Treat that as a starting point rather than a verdict: budget, weather and visa access will move the answer for most people.
Can I get a digital nomad visa for Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas?
Vietnam does not run a dedicated nomad visa, so long stays rely on tourist entry limits or another permit. Spain offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1-year visa, convertible to a 3-year permit and requiring around $3,000 a month in proven income.
Which has better weather, Ho Chi Minh City or Las Palmas?
Las Palmas rates 4.9/5 for climate and Ho Chi Minh City 4/5, with air quality at 4.4/5 and 2.7/5 respectively.
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