Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Ho Chi Minh City at 50/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Vietnam's national picture overall (63/100 vs 65/100).
City page · part of Vietnam
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Ho Chi Minh City report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Vietnam's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
49.8
Safety Index
50.2
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Vietnam's national page, with crime swapped for Ho Chi Minh City's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Ho Chi Minh City, specifically
- • In general, Ho Chi Minh City is a safe city, with violent crimes such as armed robbery being relatively rare.
- • Scam artists operate on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City.
- • Hotel scams are very common, even in the mid-range price level US$20-70.
- • Don't hold up expensive things near the street or leave them out on the table while you're having a meal, especially in District 1, especially around the backpacker area.
- • Don't buy SIM card before the immigration at the airport, they will charge you US$10 for a SIM card.
Legal status (national law)
Legal + UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B / C / F · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 113 / ambulance: 115 / fire: 114
Tipping
Tipping is not practised by the Vietnamese themselves and generally not expected, though tips will not be refused if offered. Some establishments which are used to serving Western tourists have come to expect tips, though it is still perfectly acceptable not to tip. In any case, the price quoted to you is often many times what locals will pay, so tipping can be considered unnecessary in most circu
SIM / Data
Mobile numbers in Vietnam must always be dialed with all 9 or 10 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "1nn" or "9nn" within Vietnam), no matter where they are being called from. The 1nn or 9nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and sometimes third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned. As is the case with most mobile numbers, they can also b
Cash vs. Card
Credit/debit cards are now accepted more and more around the country, especially where there is a lot of tourists present. Credit/debit card purchases are required by law to be charged in dong.
How this compares to Vietnam
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Ho Chi Minh City at 50/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Vietnam's national picture overall (63/100 vs 65/100).
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