Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $749 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

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Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$749

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cauayan City 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 Cauayan City and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $749 per month in Cauayan City vs $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Cauayan City $749
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Cauayan City vs $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Cauayan City $1,083
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

A family of three spends $1,418 per month in Cauayan City vs $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent included.

Cauayan City $1,418
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Cauayan City is about 13% cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cauayan City and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are more affordable than the global median – Cauayan City 45% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱250

$1.91 ₫49.6K

107.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.01 ₱1,071

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.78 ₱175

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-38.77%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱116

$1.85 ₫48.0K

-0.54%

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

$0.56 ₱35.28

$0.56 ₫14.6K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.42

$0.32 ₫8,185

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱97.6

$1.72 ₫44.5K

-9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱72.9

$1.11 ₫28.7K

4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.2

$1.00 ₫25.9K

4.00%

Eggs

$2.01 ₱127

$1.67 ₫43.1K

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.99 ₱314

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-58.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ₱220

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₱498

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-24.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.24 ₫32.2K

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.56 ₫40.3K

51.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-21.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱105

$1.23 ₫31.9K

35.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$1.15 ₫29.8K

53.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₱41.25

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₱189

$1.24 ₫32.1K

142.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₱549

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-30.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.1

$0.96 ₫24.9K

-5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱130

$1.53 ₫39.6K

34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.49

$0.26 ₫6,694

-3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.80 ₱743

$11.51 ₫297.9K

2.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.68

$0.75 ₫19.5K

5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.43

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-65.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱123

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-35.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$0.96 ₫24.8K

-1.04%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-30.92%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-37.44%

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

$142 ₱8,909

$102 ₫2.6M

38.75%

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

$10.52 ₱663

$5.89 ₫152.5K

78.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 ₱1,441

$10.49 ₫271.6K

118.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.28 ₱2,284

$25.54 ₫661.2K

42.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.48 ₱282

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-62.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ₱334

$3.53 ₫91.3K

50.42%

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

$133 ₱8,362

$436 ₫11.3M

-69.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱671.2K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-54.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.37 ₱1,849

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-44.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.82 ₱1,248

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-41.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.1 ₱3,532

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-37.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,466

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-42.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱17.1K

$589 ₫15.3M

-53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.1K

$298 ₫7.7M

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₱37.0K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-54.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 ₱19.0K

$711 ₫18.4M

-57.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 ₱136.8K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-53.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-43.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 Cauayan City: 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

Cauayan City

$191 25.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 55.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Cauayan City

$175 23.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 18.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cauayan City

$175 23.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 32.3% $57

Eating Out

Cauayan City

$74 9.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 14% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Cauayan City

$72 9.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 69.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cauayan City

$47 6.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 30.5% $14

Getting Around

Cauayan City

$15 2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 13.1% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Cauayan City 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 $17.00 in Cauayan City versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $207 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

1 h behind Cauayan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,616

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cauayan City Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cauayan City
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $749 in Cauayan City, $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,124 per month in Cauayan City 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.

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

Kindergarten costs $133 per month in Cauayan City and $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Cauayan City 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 $749 in Cauayan City to $859 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 Cauayan City. 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.