Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $647 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $647 in Imus.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Imus $647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $965 in Imus.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Imus $965

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,283 in Imus.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Imus $1,283

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 33% more expensive than in Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Imus 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.96 ₱249

-51.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.00 ₱1,070

34.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.85 ₱179

59.30%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.86 ₱117

-0.54%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.56 ₱35.19

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 ₱20.78

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.02 ₱64.2

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.70 ₱107

1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.68 ₱106

-1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.13 ₱71.0

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.03 ₱64.7

-2.91%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.08 ₱131

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.18 ₱326

133.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.33 ₱210

10.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.85 ₱494

30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.27 ₱143

30.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.60 ₱101

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.35 ₱148

-33.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.78 ₱112

-26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.72 ₱108

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.73 ₱109

-33.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.66 ₱41.73

12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ₱31.10

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.14 ₱198

-60.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.99 ₱566

40.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.13 ₱71.4

-15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.98 ₱125

-22.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.26 ₱16.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.94 ₱689

5.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.80 ₱50.2

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.50

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.92 ₱121

57.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.22 ₱76.7

-21.31%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

43.38%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

55.84%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$123 ₱7,715

-16.77%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.62 ₱983

-62.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.34 ₱1,469

-55.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$27.55 ₱1,735

-7.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.07 ₱319

135.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.29 ₱333

-33.27%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$134 ₱8,428

226.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,820 ₱555.3K

164.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$29.14 ₱1,834

81.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.72 ₱1,241

73.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$72.7 ₱4,574

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$54.8 ₱3,453

73.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$122 ₱7,660

384.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$99.7 ₱6,274

198.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$202 ₱12.7K

539.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$166 ₱10.4K

329.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,138 ₱134.6K

118.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,101 ₱69.3K

72.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$172 ₱10.8K

185.45%

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 Imus: 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%

Imus

$100 15.4% 66.5% $198

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Imus

$180 27.9% 13% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Imus

$79 12.3% 35.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Imus

$161 24.9% 36.4% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Imus

$75 11.5% 17.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Imus

$38 5.9% 17% $5.5

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Imus

$14 2.2% 16.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $122 in Imus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 185% 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 $17.00 in Imus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $180 per month, with Imus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

496,794

💱 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 = 62.96 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) Imus 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Imus

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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imus wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Imus the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 185% 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 $122 in Imus. 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 $647 in Imus – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Imus runs roughly 5% 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 $647 in Imus versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Imus but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Imus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Imus delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $647 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Imus hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Imus 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 Imus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.