Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacong and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $647 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bacong
🇵🇭 Philippines
$647
/mo nomad
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$859
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bacong and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bacong and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $647 per month in Bacong vs $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

  • Bacong $647
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

A couple spends around $981 per month in Bacong vs $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

  • Bacong $981
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

A family of three spends $1,314 per month in Bacong vs $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

  • Bacong $1,314
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Bacong is about 25% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bacong and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Bacong 52% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.73 ₱172
$1.91 ₫49.6K
42.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.84 ₱1,186
$22.84 ₫591.2K
-17.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.14 ₱198
$4.54 ₫117.6K
-30.84%
Cappuccino
$2.02 ₱127
$1.85 ₫48.0K
9.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₱42.84
$0.56 ₫14.6K
21.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱20.79
$0.32 ₫8,185
3.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.92 ₱57.9
$1.06 ₫27.5K
-13.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₱108
$1.72 ₫44.5K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 ₱101
$1.66 ₫42.9K
-3.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 ₱72.5
$1.11 ₫28.7K
3.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 ₱55.4
$1.00 ₫25.9K
-12.00%
Eggs
$2.07 ₱130
$1.67 ₫43.1K
23.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.95 ₱374
$12.08 ₫312.8K
-50.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.98 ₱251
$3.68 ₫95.2K
8.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.30 ₱397
$10.24 ₫265.1K
-38.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 ₱206
$2.96 ₫76.5K
10.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 ₱67.8
$1.24 ₫32.2K
-12.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.93 ₱184
$1.56 ₫40.3K
87.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.43 ₱90.3
$1.30 ₫33.6K
10.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 ₱150
$1.23 ₫31.9K
93.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 ₱172
$1.15 ₫29.8K
136.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 ₱87.6
$0.74 ₫19.1K
87.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₱51.3
$0.56 ₫14.4K
44.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 ₱188
$1.24 ₫32.1K
141.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.46 ₱407
$12.60 ₫326.1K
-48.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₱67.8
$0.96 ₫24.9K
12.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₱82.3
$1.53 ₫39.6K
-14.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱14.13
$0.26 ₫6,694
-15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.96 ₱627
$11.51 ₫297.9K
-13.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 ₱49.61
$0.75 ₫19.5K
5.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 ₱22.84
$0.67 ₫17.4K
-46.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.45 ₱155
$3.03 ₫78.5K
-19.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 ₱62.6
$0.96 ₫24.8K
3.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ₱1.3M
$31.1K ₫804.3M
-32.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$30.4K ₫785.9M
-37.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.4 ₱3,233
$102 ₫2.6M
-49.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.28 ₱584
$5.89 ₫152.5K
57.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.26 ₱1,716
$10.49 ₫271.6K
159.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.11 ₱2,022
$25.54 ₫661.2K
25.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.98 ₱251
$11.92 ₫308.5K
-66.61%
Cinema Ticket
$4.66 ₱294
$3.53 ₫91.3K
32.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$32.30 ₱2,034
$436 ₫11.3M
-92.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,576 ₱539.9K
$23.3K ₫602.8M
-63.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.62 ₱2,117
$52.8 ₫1.4M
-36.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.41 ₱1,222
$34.15 ₫884.1K
-43.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.3 ₱3,543
$90.3 ₫2.3M
-37.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.62 ₱1,487
$95.0 ₫2.5M
-75.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$147 ₱9,270
$589 ₫15.3M
-75.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 ₱12.0K
$298 ₫7.7M
-35.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$587 ₱36.9K
$1,292 ₫33.5M
-54.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ₱19.2K
$711 ₫18.4M
-57.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,384 ₱150.1K
$4,676 ₫121.1M
-49.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,056 ₱66.5K
$1,904 ₫49.3M
-44.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bacong
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$490 ₫12.7M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.33
8.64
-15.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bacong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bacong
$191
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$298 56.1% $107
Groceries & Markets
Bacong
$187
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$207 11.1% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacong
$88
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$118 34.7% $30
Eating Out
Bacong
$68
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$63 6.1% $4.1
Clothing & Footwear
Bacong
$60
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$122 105% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Bacong
$41
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$33 21.3% $8.8
Getting Around
Bacong
$13
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$17 23.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $147 in Bacong versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Bacong versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $207 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Bacong
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🕒 Local time
10:43 10:43 AM
09:43 9:43 AM
1 h behind Bacong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,207
9,456,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bacong Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bacong
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Bacong vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper than Bacong?
Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $971 per month in Bacong and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Bacong or in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Bacong and $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Bacong and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $647 in Bacong and $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's a gap of about 33%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bacong or in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacong, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bacong or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bacong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Bacong or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bacong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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