Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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 Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $739 in Iligan City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Iligan City $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,126 in Iligan City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Iligan City $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,514 in Iligan City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Iligan City $1,514

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 16% more expensive than in Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Iligan City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.99 ₱251

-52.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.85 ₱1,124

27.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.74 ₱172

65.69%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.26 ₱142

-18.14%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.67 ₱42.01

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.34 ₱21.15

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.13 ₱71.1

-6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.90 ₱120

-9.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$2.05 ₱129

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.16 ₱72.8

-4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.90 ₱56.7

11.11%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.93 ₱121

-13.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.66 ₱357

113.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.21 ₱265

-12.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.26 ₱457

41.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.42 ₱153

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.54 ₱97.2

-19.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.34 ₱147

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.17 ₱73.7

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.01 ₱126

-38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.92 ₱121

-40.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.92 ₱57.8

-19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.57 ₱35.82

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.97 ₱187

-58.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.55 ₱476

66.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.96 ₱60.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.01 ₱126

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.26 ₱16.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.63 ₱795

-8.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.85 ₱53.5

-11.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.33

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$2.01 ₱127

50.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.17 ₱73.6

-17.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.78%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$16.8K ₱1.1M

80.68%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$129 ₱8,095

-20.69%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.31 ₱964

-61.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.12 ₱1,519

-56.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$31.95 ₱2,011

-20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.61 ₱290

158.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.14 ₱324

-31.32%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$131 ₱8,241

233.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,881 ₱559.2K

162.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$33.30 ₱2,097

58.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$18.10 ₱1,139

88.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$70.2 ₱4,422

28.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$48.70 ₱3,066

95.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$111 ₱6,985

431.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$172 ₱10.8K

73.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$515 ₱32.4K

150.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$357 ₱22.5K

98.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,600 ₱163.7K

79.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$875 ₱55.1K

117.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$198 ₱12.5K

147.44%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: 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%

Iligan City

$172 23.2% 42.3% $126

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Iligan City

$184 24.9% 11.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Iligan City

$77 10.4% 37.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Iligan City

$168 22.7% 42% $50

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Iligan City

$81 10.9% 27.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Iligan City

$42 5.7% 29.5% $9.6

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Iligan City

$16 2.1% 6.4% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $111 in Iligan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 147% 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 $18.00 in Iligan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $184 per month, with Iligan City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

342,618

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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) Iligan City 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Iligan City

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 Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iligan City wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Iligan City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 147% 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 $111 in Iligan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $739 in Iligan City – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Iligan City runs roughly 10% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $739 in Iligan City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iligan City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Iligan City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Iligan City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Iligan City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Iligan City 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 Iligan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.