Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bayawan City: $754 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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 Bayawan City
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Bayawan City Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Bayawan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $754 in Bayawan City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Bayawan City $754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,171 in Bayawan City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Bayawan City $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,589 in Bayawan City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Bayawan City $1,589

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 14% more expensive than in Bayawan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.97 ₱187

-35.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$23.51 ₱1,480

-2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.07 ₱256

11.55%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.58 ₱162

-28.29%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.60 ₱101

-65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.53 ₱33.50

-39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.77 ₱111

-40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.29 ₱144

-24.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.77 ₱112

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.11 ₱69.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.72 ₱45.02

38.89%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.06 ₱130

-18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$10.00 ₱630

20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.45 ₱280

-17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.43 ₱468

37.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.36 ₱212

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.40 ₱88.2

-11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.30 ₱145

-32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.56 ₱97.9

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.37 ₱149

-48.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.97 ₱124

-41.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.15 ₱72.6

-35.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.66 ₱41.84

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.91 ₱183

-57.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$4.89 ₱308

157.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.81 ₱51.1

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.73 ₱109

-11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.26 ₱16.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$9.66 ₱608

19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.78 ₱49.24

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.50

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.86 ₱117

62.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.09 ₱68.7

-11.93%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

48.46%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

56.13%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$123 ₱7,755

-17.20%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.33 ₱902

-58.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$28.21 ₱1,776

-62.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$33.93 ₱2,136

-24.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$3.96 ₱250

201.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$1.62 ₱102

117.90%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$132 ₱8,306

230.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,958 ₱501.1K

192.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$33.54 ₱2,112

57.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.17 ₱1,207

78.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$76.8 ₱4,836

17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$58.1 ₱3,661

63.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$233 ₱14.7K

153.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$168 ₱10.6K

77.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$503 ₱31.7K

156.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$359 ₱22.6K

98.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,618 ₱164.8K

78.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,088 ₱68.5K

75.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$114 ₱7,149

331.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.2

20.00%

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 Bayawan City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Bayawan City

$168 22.2% 43.7% $130

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Bayawan City

$198 26.2% 4.7% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Bayawan City

$84 11.2% 31% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Bayawan City

$166 22% 40% $47

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Bayawan City

$89 11.8% 40.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Bayawan City

$37 4.9% 14% $4.6

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Bayawan City

$13 1.7% 24.1% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $233 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 331% 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 $24.00 in Bayawan City. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $198, with Bayawan City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Bayawan City

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

122,747

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Bayawan City 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Bayawan City

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 Bayawan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bayawan City differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $754 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 331% 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 $233 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 Bayawan City – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $754 in Bayawan City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bayawan City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.