Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $578 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$578

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $578 in Butuan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Butuan $578

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $913 in Butuan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Butuan $913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,248 in Butuan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Butuan $1,248

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 48% more expensive than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Butuan 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.67 ₱294

-59.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$26.83 ₱1,689

-14.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.41 ₱152

88.38%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.09 ₱131

-11.48%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.33 ₱21.01

69.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.23 ₱14.47

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.57 ₱98.8

-32.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.46 ₱155

-30.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.95 ₱123

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.09 ₱68.9

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.87 ₱55.0

14.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.86 ₱117

-10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.21 ₱391

94.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.84 ₱305

-23.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.32 ₱587

9.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.68 ₱169

10.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.11 ₱69.7

11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.42 ₱152

-35.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.20 ₱75.8

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.02 ₱127

-39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.51 ₱221

-67.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.25 ₱79.0

-40.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.67 ₱42.40

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.39 ₱150

-48.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.13 ₱512

54.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.25 ₱78.7

-23.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.69 ₱106

-9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.78 ₱49.31

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.83

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.96 ₱123

54.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.05 ₱66.1

-8.57%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.32%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

59.54%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$107 ₱6,745

-4.81%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$18.89 ₱1,189

-68.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$30.87 ₱1,944

-66.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$23.85 ₱1,502

7.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.37 ₱275

-19.22%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$108 ₱6,790

304.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,696 ₱484.6K

202.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$61.7 ₱3,885

-14.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$31.28 ₱1,970

9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.8 ₱4,523

25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$62.2 ₱3,916

52.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.31

3.97%

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 Butuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Butuan

$200 34.6% 3.5% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Butuan

$102 17.7% 16.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Butuan

$157 27.1% 32.6% $39

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Butuan

$85 14.6% 33.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Butuan

$33 5.6% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 87.7% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $27.00 in Butuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $200, with Butuan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

337,063

💱 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) Butuan 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $867 in Butuan 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.

Childcare runs $436 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $108 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $578 in Butuan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $578 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.