Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $504 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Learn more

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
Learn more

Caloocan Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $504 in Caloocan, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Caloocan $504

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $674 in Caloocan, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Caloocan $674

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $845 in Caloocan, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Caloocan $845

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 70% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Caloocan 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.74 ₱173

-30.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.50 ₱1,039

38.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.22 ₱140

104.50%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$0.91 ₱57.3

103.30%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.40 ₱25.01

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 ₱21.08

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.01 ₱63.8

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.61 ₱102

6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.62 ₱102

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.11 ₱69.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.00 ₱63.0

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.81 ₱114

-7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.19 ₱327

132.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.44 ₱217

6.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.94 ₱500

28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.21 ₱139

33.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.92 ₱57.7

34.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.38 ₱150

-34.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.04 ₱65.5

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.12 ₱70.7

9.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.70 ₱107

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.65 ₱41.18

13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ₱31.13

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.00 ₱189

-58.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$4.68 ₱295

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.91 ₱57.2

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.99 ₱126

-23.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.22 ₱13.86

18.18%

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 ₱15.83

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.90 ₱119

59.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.09 ₱68.5

-11.93%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

45.50%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

57.51%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$53.2 ₱3,353

91.62%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.80 ₱617

-39.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.23 ₱1,463

-54.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$4.76 ₱300

436.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.04 ₱318

-29.96%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$134 ₱8,415

226.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.9K ₱688.5K

113.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$29.00 ₱1,827

81.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.90 ₱1,253

71.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$55.3 ₱3,480

63.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$47.92 ₱3,019

98.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$205 ₱12.9K

188.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$121 ₱7,624

146.07%

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

$320 ₱20.2K

53.04%

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 Caloocan: 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%

Caloocan

$121 24% 59.4% $177

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Caloocan

$160 31.7% 23% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Caloocan

$68 13.6% 44.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Caloocan

$86 17.1% 27.1% $32

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Caloocan

$51 10.1% 20% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Caloocan

$15 3% 54.4% $18

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Caloocan

$3 * 0.6% 82.2% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $205 in Caloocan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $16.00 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $160 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,661,584

💱 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 = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Caloocan 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Caloocan

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 Caloocan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 70% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $756 in Caloocan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $16.00 in Caloocan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $504, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $859. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Caloocan costs $504 versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Caloocan. 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.