Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $518 in Calamba.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Calamba $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $764 in Calamba.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Calamba $764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,010 in Calamba.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Calamba $1,010

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 66% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.92 ₱247

-51.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$12.02 ₱757

90.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.82 ₱178

60.99%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.79 ₱113

3.35%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.56 ₱35.44

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 ₱21.06

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.94 ₱59.5

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.55 ₱97.7

10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 ₱101

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.11 ₱70.1

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.97 ₱61.0

3.09%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.00 ₱126

-16.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.20 ₱327

132.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.40 ₱214

8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.80 ₱491

31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.31 ₱145

28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.54 ₱96.9

-19.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.40 ₱151

-35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.06 ₱66.9

22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.73 ₱109

-28.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.78 ₱112

-35.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.61 ₱38.68

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ₱31.10

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.92 ₱184

-57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.87 ₱558

42.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.96 ₱60.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.10 ₱132

-27.14%

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

$0.82 ₱51.9

-8.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.75

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.88 ₱119

61.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.93 ₱58.7

3.23%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

47.01%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

59.68%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$139 ₱8,759

-26.70%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.36 ₱1,093

-66.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.85 ₱1,502

-56.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.04 ₱317

-29.96%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$130 ₱8,193

235.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.6K ₱668.9K

119.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$28.54 ₱1,797

84.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.73 ₱1,242

73.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.0 ₱4,468

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$55.3 ₱3,482

71.77%

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

$260 ₱16.4K

88.42%

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 Calamba: 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%

Calamba

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Calamba

$175 33.7% 15.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Calamba

$79 15.2% 35.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Calamba

$180 34.8% 52.3% $62

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Calamba

$73 14% 14.7% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Calamba

$10 * 1.9% 69.1% $23

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4% 87.5% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 88% 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 $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $175 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Calamba

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

539,671

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

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 88% 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 19% 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 $518 in Calamba – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $518 in Calamba versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.