Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Batangas: $620 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Batangas
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Batangas Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Batangas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $620 in Batangas.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Batangas $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $901 in Batangas.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Batangas $901

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,183 in Batangas.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Batangas $1,183

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 39% more expensive than in Batangas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Batangas 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.13 ₱134

-10.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.25 ₱1,212

18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.67 ₱168

70.04%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.10 ₱132

-11.90%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.39 ₱24.34

43.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.27 ₱16.86

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.08 ₱67.8

-1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.42 ₱89.6

21.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.72 ₱108

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.13 ₱71.4

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.76 ₱48.09

31.58%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.64 ₱103

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.53 ₱348

118.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.22 ₱266

-12.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.90 ₱434

48.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.41 ₱152

22.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.42 ₱89.2

-12.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.34 ₱147

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.13 ₱71.2

15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.33 ₱146

-47.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.38 ₱213

-65.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.30 ₱81.8

-43.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.97 ₱61.2

-42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.49 ₱157

-50.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.46 ₱470

68.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.32 ₱83.4

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.78 ₱112

-14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.66 ₱41.44

-60.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.84 ₱52.8

-10.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.20

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$2.60 ₱164

16.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.03 ₱64.8

-6.80%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

44.34%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

61.51%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$165 ₱10.4K

-38.15%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.40 ₱907

-59.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.88 ₱1,503

-56.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$18.88 ₱1,189

35.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$12.62 ₱795

-5.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.66 ₱356

-37.63%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$73.0 ₱4,598

497.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$1,264 ₱79.6K

1741.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$15.87 ₱999

232.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$22.72 ₱1,431

50.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$55.8 ₱3,510

61.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$39.47 ₱2,485

140.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$72.7 ₱4,576

309.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$158 ₱9,979

715.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$95.2 ₱5,992

646.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,511 ₱158.1K

86.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,631 ₱102.7K

16.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$186 ₱11.7K

163.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

23.43%

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 Batangas: 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%

Batangas

$73 11.7% 75.6% $225

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Batangas

$188 30.3% 9.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Batangas

$60 9.7% 50.8% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Batangas

$203 32.8% 71.6% $85

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Batangas

$61 9.9% 3.7% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Batangas

$30 4.9% 7.4% $2.4

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Batangas

$4.5 * 0.7% 72.9% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

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 $19.00 in Batangas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $188 per month, with Batangas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Batangas

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

10:05 10:05 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

329,874

💱 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) Batangas 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Batangas

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 Batangas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Batangas differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $620 including rent). Batangas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $620 in Batangas – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $620 in Batangas versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Batangas but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Batangas 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 Batangas 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 Batangas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.