Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $764 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

37

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato 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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Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$764

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Cotabato City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Cotabato City $764
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,169 in Cotabato City versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Cotabato City $1,169
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Cotabato City versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Cotabato City $1,574
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Cotabato City costs roughly 11% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotabato City 44% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 ₱293

$1.98 ₫51.3K

134.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.57 ₱1,044

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-28.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₱252

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-15.97%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ₱141

$1.86 ₫48.1K

19.89%

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

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.51 ₫13.3K

103.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.49

$0.32 ₫8,191

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$1.03 ₫26.7K

13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱120

$1.71 ₫44.4K

11.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.58 ₫40.8K

27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.0

$1.09 ₫28.3K

-0.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₱49.16

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-25.71%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱119

$1.64 ₫42.6K

15.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-48.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 ₱294

$3.58 ₫92.6K

30.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱69.9

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$1.62 ₫42.0K

50.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-8.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.19 ₫30.8K

63.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 ₱224

$1.14 ₫29.6K

211.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.4

$0.73 ₫18.8K

64.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.58

$0.56 ₫14.6K

26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$1.28 ₫33.0K

92.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 ₱507

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-35.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₱77.1

$0.96 ₫24.9K

27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.48 ₫38.3K

13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.40

$0.26 ₫6,704

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.02 ₱694

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-3.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.8

$0.68 ₫17.7K

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.37

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-35.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$0.91 ₫23.5K

29.67%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-29.74%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-36.37%

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

$108 ₱6,788

$104 ₫2.7M

3.89%

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

$19.38 ₱1,220

$5.79 ₫149.9K

234.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.55 ₱1,986

$10.48 ₫271.3K

201.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 ₱2,060

$26.08 ₫675.1K

25.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.78 ₱301

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-59.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₱292

$3.89 ₫100.7K

19.28%

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

$107 ₱6,709

$440 ₫11.4M

-75.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,519 ₱473.4K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-68.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.49 ₱2,109

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-34.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.69 ₱1,240

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-44.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,483

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-22.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 ₱3,825

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$582 ₫15.1M

-53.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$297 ₫7.7M

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ₱33.0K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-59.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$727 ₫18.8M

-50.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,445 ₱154.0K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-48.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₱62.9K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-46.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

8.64

-3.82%

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

Last update for Cotabato City: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cotabato City

$199 26.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 4.2% $8.3

Accommodation & Living

Cotabato City

$174 22.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 70.5% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotabato City

$159 20.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 24.4% $39

Eating Out

Cotabato City

$92 12.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 30.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Cotabato City

$83 10.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 48.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Cotabato City

$42 5.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 19.4% $8.1

Getting Around

Cotabato City

$14 1.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 15.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Cotabato City and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Cotabato City vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $208 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

01:12 1:12 AM

1 h behind Cotabato City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,079

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 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cotabato City Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotabato 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

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

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,146 in Cotabato City and $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Cotabato City versus $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $764 per month in Cotabato City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 4% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Cotabato City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cotabato City and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.