Ho Chi Minh City workers face cost of living gap

In Ho Chi Minh City, the average monthly income for workers reached 12.39 million VND during the first half of 2026. However, experts note that the minimum cost to maintain a basic standard of living in the urban area is approximately 18 million VND per month.

Dang Trung Dung, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Confederation of Labor, highlighted that the pressure of daily living expenses is reducing the financial accumulation capacity for a large portion of the workforce.

To address long-term stability, experts suggest that businesses should develop lifecycle welfare ecosystems. While supplementary pension insurance is recommended as an addition to mandatory social insurance, there remains a significant gap between current social insurance contributions—often based on a basic salary of 3 million VND—and the income required to ensure quality of life during retirement.