Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $740 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $740 in Albay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Albay $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,099 in Albay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Albay $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,457 in Albay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Albay $1,457

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 16% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Albay 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.98 ₱250

-52.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.00 ₱1,070

34.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.72 ₱171

66.91%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.27 ₱143

-18.50%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.62 ₱39.23

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 ₱21.01

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.17 ₱73.6

-9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.97 ₱124

-12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.85 ₱116

-10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.04 ₱65.2

6.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.86 ₱54.0

16.28%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.99 ₱125

-16.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.92 ₱310

145.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.17 ₱263

-11.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.55 ₱413

56.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.71 ₱171

9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.58 ₱99.3

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.12 ₱133

-26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.03 ₱65.0

26.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.78 ₱112

-30.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.26 ₱142

-49.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.86 ₱53.9

-13.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ₱30.89

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.67 ₱168

-53.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.49 ₱472

68.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.10 ₱69.2

-12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.88 ₱118

-18.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.26 ₱16.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.06 ₱634

14.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.68 ₱42.90

10.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.19 ₱11.90

252.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.65 ₱104

83.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.38 ₱87.1

-30.43%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$18.5K ₱1.2M

68.28%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

55.33%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$115 ₱7,229

-11.17%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.40 ₱970

-61.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$25.92 ₱1,632

-59.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$37.20 ₱2,342

-31.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.27 ₱332

126.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.34 ₱336

-33.90%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$133 ₱8,400

227.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,069 ₱445.1K

229.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$28.70 ₱1,807

83.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.91 ₱1,254

71.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$72.9 ₱4,587

23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$50.2 ₱3,160

89.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$230 ₱14.5K

156.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$190 ₱11.9K

57.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$489 ₱30.8K

164.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$328 ₱20.6K

116.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

81.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$959 ₱60.4K

98.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$163 ₱10.2K

200.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.79

27.25%

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

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

Last update for Albay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Albay

$190 25.6% 36.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Albay

$176 23.7% 15.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Albay

$77 10.4% 36.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Albay

$156 21.1% 31.9% $38

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Albay

$81 10.9% 27.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Albay

$48 6.5% 46.8% $15

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Albay

$13 1.7% 23.5% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $230 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 201% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $176 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

15:45 3:45 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

179,481

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

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).

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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Albay 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Albay

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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Albay differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $740 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 201% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $230 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $740 in Albay versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Albay 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 Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.