Living in Ho Chi Minh and Da Lat Can life in Ho Chi Minh City be considered a paradise? It is so difficult to respond to this question Nowadays, there are so many people nationwide who choose Ho Chi Minh City as their second home because they think they will benefit a lot from this city, such as schools, hospitals, or money Those having lived in Ho Chi Minh and Da Lat for ages will easily recognize that these are three typical differences which make Da Lat a better place to live in than Ho Chi Minh: weather, transportation, and cost of living One noticeable difference between the two places is the weather Ho Chi Minh City has two distinct seasons: a very humid, rainy season and a long, hot, dry season throughout the year The highest temperature climbs to approximately 39°C around noon in late April and the lowest might be about 16°C in the early mornings of late December In the dry season, December through April, it is really hot and humid The hot climate is hard enough on the people that they have to turn the air conditioner all day In the rainy period of May to November, it is a little cold but still humid because it has been constantly raining during this period of time It is not easy to live in such a hot city because one always breaks into perspiration and feel uncomfortable in a daily routine Like Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat also has two separate seasons that are rainy and dry seasons, yet these two seasons are clearly marked by distinct weather changes In the dry season, November to April, it is somewhat hot but windy This makes Da Lat more beautiful than the other It can be considered an ideal point of time for students, who are out of school for summer, to go flying kites The average daily high temperature peaks at 22°C at the end of June The average relative humidity ranges from over 90% in the morning to around 60% the afternoon The rainy season in Da Lat, May through October, is cool and rainy, with temperatures averaging in the upper 18°C to lower 22°C during the day and in the 13°C to lower 17°C at night This makes people living in Da Lat feel cool and comfortable throughout the year; therefore, one can enjoy fresh air and comfortable temperature all day With such weather conditions, Da Lat definitely has more exclusive and desirable weather than Ho Chi Minh City Overall, Da Lat is currently one of the most preferable places nationwide for people to visit for different purposes, such as settling in Another major difference is transportation It is true that Ho Chi Minh, one of the popular destinations, tends to be crowded and congestion occurs at any time, especially the time of getting off from work Congestion takes on many faces, occurs in many different contexts, and is caused by many different processes For example, a person has to go to work by motorcycle every single day It takes him about an hour to come and leave the office because of heavy traffic congestion during rush hour Besides, a growing number of local public transportation, such as taxis, buses moving on the narrow and down-graded roads all day also accounts for the chaotic and disordered traffic flow models Moreover, the volume of cars in Ho Chi Minh City is considered as the leading nationwide which causes perpetual traffic jam daily, especially during rush hour Conversely, there is not much traffic in Da Lat For example, students can spend approximately 10 minutes cycling to get home from school to miles away even if in the rush hour Population in Da Lat is still lower than in Ho Chi Minh City’s This leads to the use of vehicles in Da Lat is also less than in Ho Chi Minh City’s, especially cars This apparent distinction of transportation makes Da Lat unique and much more attractive to people who tend to settle there The most visible distinction between the two places is cost of living In Ho Chi Minh, an average cost of living was about 2,000,000 VND/person a month (20,000 VND ~ USD) with an average salary per a worker per month from 2,500,000 VND to 3,000,000 VND (equivalent to $125 to $150) in 2010 This showed how high living expenses are in Ho Chi Minh City at the time Moreover, it is hard for those who want to own a piece of small land to raise or plant anything on because land cost here is terribly much expensive and valued An average cost of 100 square-feet house here estimated over billion VND (equivalent to $50,000) in 2010 Conversely, in Da Lat, it only cost 1/4 times of cost of living/person/month in Ho Chi Minh while an average salary per a worker was between 1,500,000 VND and 2,000,000 VND (equivalent to from $75 to $100) in 2010 Compared to Ho Chi Minh, it is really cheap because one can plant any vegetables and raise poultry he wants in order to use fresh food and save a huge amount of money to live better Moreover, nothing tastes as good as home grown, fresh-picked fruits, and vegetables For instance, one can raise a small garden for vegetables and raise chickens and ducks for eggs and meat When vegetables are needed, it just takes a few minutes to pick them, or if one is in need of chickens, he could catch one from a herd of cattle This not only saves money, but energy Further, housing opportunities are available for everyone, especially low income workers because it does not cost too much to own one Average cost of a house here was approximately 200,000,000 VND (equivalent to $10,000) in 2010 for a 100 square-feet house This is really important information for those deciding where to live in order to save money and cover all living expenses Thus, cost of living is both significant and prerequisite for one’s reference before making a decisive action for a better place to settle in In general, the cost of living in Da Lat is less than Ho Chi Minh City It is still a preferable choice to live in The difference of weather, transportation, and cost of living between Ho Chi Minh and Da Lat bring them some advantages and disadvantages With such the cool weather throughout the year, little transportation, and less cost of living, Da Lat is an ideal destination for people who are really looking for quietness, fresh air, and coolness to settle in It is in such perfect condition that the population in Da Lat has been gradually increasing in recent years Now, it is a strong recommendation for those definitely wanting to live in Da Lat that life in Da Lat can be considered a paradise Therefore, living in Da Lat is still the best choice to consider future settlement and investment ... gradually increasing in recent years Now, it is a strong recommendation for those definitely wanting to live in Da Lat that life in Da Lat can be considered a paradise Therefore, living in Da Lat is... living, Da Lat is an ideal destination for people who are really looking for quietness, fresh air, and coolness to settle in It is in such perfect condition that the population in Da Lat has been...settling in Another major difference is transportation It is true that Ho Chi Minh, one of the popular destinations, tends to be crowded and congestion occurs