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 $531 per month in Cabanatuan vs $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

A couple spends around $1,030 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,300 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

A family of three spends $1,530 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,773 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Cabanatuan is about 36% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cabanatuan and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Cabanatuan 60% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ₱280

$2.03 ₫53.2K

124.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.83 ₱2,147

$22.91 ₫601.9K

52.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 ₱212

$4.69 ₫123.3K

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ₱181

$1.69 ₫44.5K

73.96%

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

$0.86 ₱53.2

$0.50 ₫13.2K

72.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱28.26

$0.28 ₫7,263

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₱88.4

$0.99 ₫26.0K

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₱161

$1.50 ₫39.3K

73.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₱125

$1.48 ₫38.9K

37.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ₱101

$1.03 ₫26.9K

58.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱61.1

$0.98 ₫25.9K

1.02%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱122

$1.41 ₫36.9K

40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.60 ₱222

$11.88 ₫312.1K

-69.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ₱192

$3.60 ₫94.6K

-13.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ₱409

$10.55 ₫277.3K

-37.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 ₱250

$2.76 ₫72.5K

46.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ₱75.1

$1.10 ₫28.9K

10.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ₱123

$1.30 ₫34.1K

53.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 ₱50.2

$1.16 ₫30.6K

-30.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ₱90.4

$1.17 ₫30.7K

25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ₱86.3

$1.17 ₫30.9K

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₱64.3

$0.70 ₫18.4K

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱51.3

$0.51 ₫13.4K

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱180

$1.27 ₫33.2K

129.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ₱351

$12.32 ₫323.6K

-53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱43.61

$0.85 ₫22.3K

-16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱108

$1.49 ₫39.1K

17.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.82

$0.28 ₫7,433

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.75 ₫282.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱45.93

$0.67 ₫17.7K

10.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.84

$0.69 ₫18.2K

-65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱52.5

$2.99 ₫78.7K

-71.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱71.9

$0.82 ₫21.7K

42.68%

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

$28.8K ₱1.8M

$37.5K ₫985.9M

-23.16%

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

$17.9K ₱1.1M

$33.6K ₫881.9M

-46.67%

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

$58.1 ₱3,580

$84.8 ₫2.2M

-31.55%

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

$21.34 ₱1,316

$6.06 ₫159.3K

252.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 ₱1,558

$9.14 ₫240.2K

176.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.25 ₱755

$20.73 ₫544.6K

-40.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.59 ₱160

$9.37 ₫246.3K

-72.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 ₱423

$4.26 ₫111.8K

61.27%

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

$151 ₱9,306

$273 ₫7.2M

-44.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,308 ₱265.7K

$13.8K ₫362.2M

-68.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.79 ₱1,652

$42.85 ₫1.1M

-37.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 ₱2,080

$27.36 ₫718.8K

23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ₱3,862

$97.6 ₫2.6M

-35.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.62 ₱2,936

$87.1 ₫2.3M

-45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.1K

$526 ₫13.8M

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$44.20 ₱2,726

$307 ₫8.1M

-85.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₱36.2K

$1,090 ₫28.6M

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ₱24.4K

$668 ₫17.6M

-40.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,497 ₫118.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$225 ₱13.9K

$1,791 ₫47.1M

-87.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 ₱12.2K

$509 ₫13.4M

-61.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

9.14

-32.49%

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

Last update for Cabanatuan: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Cabanatuan versus $526 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 157% 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 $35.00 in Cabanatuan versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries tell a different story – $174 in Cabanatuan vs $198 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – so Cabanatuan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $531 in Cabanatuan, $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – roughly 56% apart. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $796 per month in Cabanatuan and $1,240 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 $35.00 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.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $531 in Cabanatuan and $826 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $531 in Cabanatuan to $826 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.