Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Binan City: $731 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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 Binan City
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Binan City Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Binan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Binan 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 Binan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $731 in Binan City, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Binan City $731

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,132 in Binan City, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Binan City $1,132

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,534 in Binan City, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Binan City $1,534

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 17% more than Binan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Binan City are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Binan City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.02 ₱253

-52.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.94 ₱1,067

34.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.78 ₱175

63.31%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.79 ₱113

3.35%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.56 ₱35.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.31 ₱19.24

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.98 ₱61.8

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.57 ₱98.9

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.62 ₱102

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.13 ₱71.1

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.04 ₱65.3

-3.85%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.04 ₱128

-18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.97 ₱313

143.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.41 ₱214

7.92%

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

$1.52 ₱96.0

-18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.33 ₱147

-33.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.07 ₱67.1

21.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.74 ₱109

-29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.76 ₱111

-34.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.61 ₱38.30

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.57 ₱36.15

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.58 ₱163

-51.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.11 ₱511

55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.95 ₱59.9

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.00 ₱126

-23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.28 ₱17.72

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.24 ₱771

-5.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.67 ₱41.93

11.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.16

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.93 ₱122

56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.24 ₱78.2

-22.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

43.56%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

58.61%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$140 ₱8,795

-26.99%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$16.11 ₱1,014

-63.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$31.50 ₱1,983

-66.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$35.01 ₱2,204

-27.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.04 ₱317

136.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.07 ₱319

-30.37%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$135 ₱8,501

223.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,389 ₱465.2K

215.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$28.73 ₱1,809

83.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.59 ₱1,233

74.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.2 ₱4,481

26.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.5 ₱3,555

68.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$268 ₱16.9K

119.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$159 ₱10.0K

87.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$583 ₱36.7K

121.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$396 ₱24.9K

79.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,584 ₱162.7K

80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,026 ₱64.6K

85.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 10, 2026

Last update for Binan City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Binan City

$159 21.8% 46.5% $139

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Binan City

$171 23.5% 17.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Binan City

$79 10.8% 35.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Binan City

$187 25.6% 58.2% $69

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Binan City

$73 10.1% 15.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Binan City

$45 6.2% 38.5% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Binan City

$15 2.1% 9.4% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $268 in Binan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $17.00 in Binan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $171 – making Binan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Binan City

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

407,037

💱 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) Binan City 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,096 in Binan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Binan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $436 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $135 in Binan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Binan City, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Binan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Binan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Binan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.