Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $602 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Dipolog
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Dipolog Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Dipolog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $602 in Dipolog, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Dipolog $602

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $839 in Dipolog, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Dipolog $839

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,076 in Dipolog, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Dipolog $1,076

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 42% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Dipolog are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Dipolog 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$1.36 ₱86.9

40.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$19.30 ₱1,233

18.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$2.72 ₱174

72.43%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$2.02 ₱129

-10.89%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.64 ₱40.78

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.29 ₱18.75

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.04 ₱66.6

-0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$1.72 ₱110

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.60 ₱102

4.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$0.77 ₱48.93

41.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$0.82 ₱52.5

29.27%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.87 ₱119

-14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$5.77 ₱369

109.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$4.12 ₱263

-11.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$5.71 ₱365

81.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$1.60 ₱102

88.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.07 ₱68.7

17.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$2.91 ₱186

-44.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.43 ₱91.5

-11.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.84 ₱118

-35.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$2.68 ₱171

-55.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$1.47 ₱93.6

-46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.61 ₱39.25

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.04 ₱194

-58.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$3.93 ₱251

226.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$1.13 ₱71.9

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.26 ₱80.4

15.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$0.26 ₱16.72

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$10.99 ₱702

3.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$0.81 ₱51.5

-13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.32 ₱20.72

96.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$2.32 ₱148

33.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.89 ₱57.0

6.74%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

44.00%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

56.52%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$64.3 ₱4,106

59.07%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$7.73 ₱494

-26.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$23.98 ₱1,532

-56.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$32.70 ₱2,090

-40.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$4.65 ₱297

153.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$4.70 ₱300

-18.51%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$32.00 ₱2,045

1413.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$8,107 ₱518.0K

187.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$33.03 ₱2,111

58.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$19.08 ₱1,219

80.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$55.9 ₱3,574

64.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$23.76 ₱1,518

296.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$156 ₱9,955

315.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$172 ₱11.0K

72.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$513 ₱32.7K

151.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$134 ₱8,589

434.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$2,401 ₱153.4K

80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,119 ₱71.5K

77.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$234 ₱15.0K

109.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.33

17.87%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Dipolog: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Dipolog

$172 28.6% 42.1% $125

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Dipolog

$163 27% 21.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Dipolog

$59 9.9% 51.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Dipolog

$96 15.9% 18.9% $22

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Dipolog

$56 9.2% 11.8% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Dipolog

$42 7% 56.2% $15

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Dipolog

$14 2.4% 11.8% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $156 in Dipolog. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $19 in Dipolog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $163 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Dipolog

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

02:02 2:02 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

130,759

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Dipolog 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Dipolog

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 Dipolog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 42% more than Dipolog, 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 $1,279 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $904 in Dipolog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $32 in Dipolog. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Dipolog, where all-in costs run around $602, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $853. In Dipolog 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 Dipolog – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Dipolog. 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.