Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $755 in Baguio.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Baguio $755

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,183 in Baguio.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Baguio $1,183

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,611 in Baguio.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Baguio $1,611

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 13% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$3.97 ₱249

-52.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$16.85 ₱1,057

38.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$2.76 ₱173

69.20%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$1.84 ₱115

0.54%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.60 ₱37.75

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.34 ₱21.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.01 ₱63.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$1.64 ₱103

3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.69 ₱106

-6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.13 ₱70.9

-7.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.03 ₱64.5

-3.88%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$2.02 ₱126

-20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$4.96 ₱311

146.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.37 ₱211

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$7.68 ₱482

35.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$2.31 ₱145

33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.60 ₱100

-21.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.33 ₱146

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.08 ₱67.5

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$1.67 ₱104

-29.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.72 ₱108

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$0.67 ₱41.91

7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.53 ₱33.15

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$2.98 ₱187

-59.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$8.72 ₱547

40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$0.97 ₱61.1

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.08 ₱130

-28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.25 ₱15.73

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$12.66 ₱794

-8.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.83 ₱52.0

-12.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.25 ₱15.78

156.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$1.89 ₱119

67.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.25 ₱78.7

-24.00%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

45.41%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

58.00%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$142 ₱8,910

-27.99%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$17.90 ₱1,122

-68.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$23.77 ₱1,491

-55.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$21.07 ₱1,322

22.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$5.18 ₱325

128.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$5.15 ₱323

-34.17%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$132 ₱8,307

230.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$10.8K ₱675.4K

116.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$29.14 ₱1,827

76.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$19.94 ₱1,251

73.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$73.0 ₱4,578

25.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$55.5 ₱3,480

71.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$403 ₱25.3K

43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$195 ₱12.2K

50.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$824 ₱51.7K

56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$460 ₱28.9K

55.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$2,677 ₱167.9K

76.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$928 ₱58.2K

102.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$185 ₱11.6K

163.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.75

28.00%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Baguio

$195 25.8% 33.4% $98

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Baguio

$175 23.2% 14.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Baguio

$80 10.6% 34.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Baguio

$184 24.4% 55.1% $65

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Baguio

$74 9.8% 16.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 3.9% $1.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 5.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $403 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 163% 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 Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $175 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

18:53 6:53 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

366,358

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Baguio 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Baguio

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 Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio 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 Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 163% 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $403 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $755 in Baguio – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 9% 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 $755 in Baguio versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $755 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Baguio 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 Baguio 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.