Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $739 in El Nido, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
El Nido $739

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,148 in El Nido, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
El Nido $1,148

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,557 in El Nido, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
El Nido $1,557

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs about 17% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and El Nido are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, El Nido 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$4.84 ₱305

-59.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$28.13 ₱1,771

-17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$3.70 ₱233

28.65%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.25 ₱142

-17.33%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$1.17 ₱73.8

-56.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.32 ₱20.45

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.30 ₱81.8

-20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.99 ₱125

-14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.59 ₱100

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.00 ₱63.1

9.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.29 ₱81.4

-18.60%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.95 ₱123

-15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$5.33 ₱336

131.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$3.98 ₱250

-10.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$6.98 ₱439

51.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$2.25 ₱142

32.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.54 ₱97.1

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.26 ₱142

-28.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.16 ₱72.8

12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.95 ₱123

-38.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$2.01 ₱127

-43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.92 ₱58.0

-20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.53 ₱33.65

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$3.35 ₱211

-61.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$7.24 ₱456

72.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.00 ₱62.9

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.87 ₱118

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.24 ₱15.07

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$10.28 ₱648

11.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.85 ₱53.8

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.20 ₱12.47

210.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$1.72 ₱108

74.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.31 ₱82.3

-30.53%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

59.36%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

35.96%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$121 ₱7,638

-14.46%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$14.38 ₱906

-59.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$24.44 ₱1,539

-57.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$34.90 ₱2,197

-25.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$3.99 ₱251

198.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.23 ₱329

-25.62%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$124 ₱7,818

254.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$6,869 ₱432.4K

250.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$33.86 ₱2,132

50.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$18.81 ₱1,185

87.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$66.9 ₱4,211

37.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$49.95 ₱3,145

93.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$269 ₱17.0K

116.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$177 ₱11.2K

67.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$535 ₱33.7K

142.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$358 ₱22.5K

103.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,607 ₱164.1K

83.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$900 ₱56.7K

105.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$257 ₱16.2K

90.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.79

27.25%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

El Nido

$177 24% 40.3% $119

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 16.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 38.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 33.4% $40

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 44.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 34% $12

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 19.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $269 in El Nido. 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 91% 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 $28.00 in El Nido. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $174 in El Nido – so El Nido wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

50,494

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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) El Nido 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
El Nido

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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), $739 in El Nido – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,294 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,109 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 11% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $124 in El Nido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at $862. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $739 in El Nido to $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 El Nido. 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.