Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $794 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $780 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $794 in Davao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Davao $794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,225 in Davao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Davao $1,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,656 in Davao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Davao $1,656

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 8% more expensive than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Davao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.81 ₱303

-60.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$26.69 ₱1,681

-14.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.94 ₱248

15.23%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.71 ₱171

-31.73%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.04 ₱65.3

-46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.68 ₱42.99

-52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.61 ₱102

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.34 ₱147

-26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$2.01 ₱126

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.13 ₱71.0

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.93 ₱58.5

7.53%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.88 ₱119

-11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.52 ₱411

85.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.85 ₱306

-24.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.18 ₱578

11.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.70 ₱170

9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.10 ₱69.3

12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.36 ₱149

-33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.15 ₱72.6

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.02 ₱127

-39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.53 ₱222

-67.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.21 ₱76.2

-38.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.68 ₱42.63

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.42 ₱152

-48.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.77 ₱489

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.24 ₱78.2

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.68 ₱106

-8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.35 ₱21.74

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$13.58 ₱856

-15.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.81 ₱51.3

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.41

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.95 ₱123

55.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.28 ₱80.5

-25.00%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

47.42%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

60.55%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$106 ₱6,691

-4.00%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$19.39 ₱1,221

-69.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$31.90 ₱2,010

-67.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$33.90 ₱2,136

-24.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$3.61 ₱228

230.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.70 ₱296

-24.89%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$107 ₱6,769

306.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,555 ₱475.9K

208.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$61.2 ₱3,854

-13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$30.84 ₱1,943

10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.5 ₱4,504

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$62.5 ₱3,937

51.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$280 ₱17.6K

110.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$172 ₱10.8K

73.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$629 ₱39.6K

105.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$320 ₱20.1K

122.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,640 ₱103.3K

185.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,429 ₱90.0K

33.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$214 ₱13.5K

128.88%

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 Davao: 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%

Davao

$172 21.6% 42.3% $126

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Davao

$200 25.2% 3.3% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Davao

$102 12.8% 17% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Davao

$158 19.8% 33.1% $39

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Davao

$102 12.9% 61.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Davao

$43 5.5% 32.9% $11

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Davao

$17 2.1% 1.6% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $280 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 129% 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 $27.00 in Davao. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $200, with Davao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

05:30 5:30 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,632,991

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Davao 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Davao

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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 129% 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 $280 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – 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.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $794 in Davao – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Davao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Davao 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 Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.