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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $631 per month in Cabanatuan vs $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

A couple spends around $976 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,376 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

A family of three spends $1,321 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,898 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Cabanatuan is about 26% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cabanatuan and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Cabanatuan 54% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 ₱252

$2.14 ₫55.5K

87.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.57 ₱1,039

$22.88 ₫593.0K

-27.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱178

$4.72 ₫122.3K

-39.83%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₱112

$1.83 ₫47.5K

-2.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱37.67

$0.56 ₫14.4K

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱19.93

$0.32 ₫8,249

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱61.9

$1.18 ₫30.7K

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱99.0

$1.61 ₫41.6K

-1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ₱106

$1.58 ₫40.9K

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.3

$1.06 ₫27.4K

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.3

$1.04 ₫27.0K

-13.46%

Eggs

$2.08 ₱130

$1.63 ₫42.3K

27.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.03 ₱315

$12.24 ₫317.1K

-58.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ₱214

$3.57 ₫92.5K

-4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 ₱485

$10.40 ₫269.7K

-25.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$3.15 ₫81.7K

-26.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.3

$1.28 ₫33.1K

-17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$1.64 ₫42.4K

45.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 ₱48.29

$1.24 ₫32.2K

-37.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$1.22 ₫31.7K

44.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$1.19 ₫30.9K

46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.65

$0.77 ₫19.8K

-19.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.54

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱183

$1.25 ₫32.4K

133.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 ₱550

$12.53 ₫324.8K

-30.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.2

$0.86 ₫22.3K

8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱126

$1.51 ₫39.3K

33.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.09

$0.28 ₫7,334

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱709

$11.49 ₫297.9K

-1.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.01

$0.73 ₫18.9K

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.73

$0.60 ₫15.6K

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$2.99 ₫77.4K

-37.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₱62.4

$0.92 ₫23.8K

8.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$30.7K ₫795.3M

-29.57%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$30.9K ₫800.4M

-37.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$54.4 ₱3,408

$103 ₫2.7M

-47.03%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.28 ₱1,083

$5.95 ₫154.2K

190.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.47 ₱1,346

$10.10 ₫261.7K

112.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.04 ₱692

$24.51 ₫635.2K

-54.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.72 ₱296

$12.03 ₫311.7K

-60.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 ₱321

$3.49 ₫90.5K

46.42%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$134 ₱8,423

$471 ₫12.2M

-71.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₱660.7K

$22.9K ₫593.0M

-53.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.27 ₱1,521

$51.1 ₫1.3M

-52.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.70 ₱1,235

$34.23 ₫887.3K

-42.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 ₱3,836

$89.9 ₫2.3M

-31.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,454

$95.4 ₫2.5M

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.6K

$584 ₫15.1M

-54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.6K

$282 ₫7.3M

-39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,255 ₫32.5M

-59.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱21.9K

$695 ₫18.0M

-49.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 ₱164.9K

$4,852 ₫125.8M

-45.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,028 ₱64.4K

$1,871 ₫48.5M

-45.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$161 ₱10.1K

$502 ₫13.0M

-67.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.64

-21.88%

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

Last update for Cabanatuan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $265 in Cabanatuan versus $584 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.

Salaries run about 212% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Cabanatuan versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $207 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cabanatuan vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $631 in Cabanatuan, $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – roughly 36% apart. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $946 per month in Cabanatuan and $1,282 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Cabanatuan 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $631 in Cabanatuan and $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $631, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $855. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $631 in Cabanatuan to $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. 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.