Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $696 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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 Bago
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Bago Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $696 in Bago.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Bago $696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,085 in Bago.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Bago $1,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,475 in Bago.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Bago $1,475

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 23% more expensive than in Bago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Bago 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.77 ₱237

-49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$15.36 ₱967

48.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.13 ₱197

45.05%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.06 ₱130

-10.19%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.71 ₱44.84

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.31 ₱19.26

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.06 ₱66.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.10 ₱132

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.45 ₱91.5

14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.05 ₱65.8

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.89 ₱56.0

12.36%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.70 ₱107

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.64 ₱355

114.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.68 ₱294

-21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.51 ₱473

36.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.68 ₱169

10.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.72 ₱109

-27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.58 ₱163

-39.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.29 ₱81.4

0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.72 ₱109

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.86 ₱117

-38.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.01 ₱63.3

-26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.50 ₱31.69

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.30 ₱207

-62.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.16 ₱451

75.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.90 ₱56.4

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.87 ₱117

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.21 ₱13.43

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.85 ₱683

6.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.66 ₱41.31

13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.56

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.93 ₱121

56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.30 ₱81.5

-26.15%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$24.5K ₱1.5M

26.88%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

61.68%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$109 ₱6,893

-6.85%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$13.03 ₱821

-54.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.14 ₱1,646

-59.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$29.61 ₱1,864

-13.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.30 ₱333

124.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.97 ₱313

-28.97%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$130 ₱8,157

236.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,189 ₱515.6K

184.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$36.58 ₱2,303

44.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$21.81 ₱1,373

56.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$76.6 ₱4,823

17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$63.2 ₱3,977

50.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$294 ₱18.5K

100.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$147 ₱9,268

102.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$455 ₱28.6K

184.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$347 ₱21.9K

104.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,607 ₱164.2K

79.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$876 ₱55.1K

117.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 Bago: 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%

Bago

$147 21.2% 50.6% $151

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Bago

$180 25.9% 13% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Bago

$89 12.8% 27.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Bago

$149 21.4% 25.6% $30

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Bago

$78 11.2% 22.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Bago

$40 5.7% 21.3% $6.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Bago

$14 1.9% 18.9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $294 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $15.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $180 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Bago

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

191,210

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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) Bago 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bago

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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,044 in Bago 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: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $294 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $130 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Bago versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bago 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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.