Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $747 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
Learn more

Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $747 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Island Garden City of Samal $747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,102 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Island Garden City of Samal $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,457 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Island Garden City of Samal $1,457

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 15% more expensive than in Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.22 ₱76.6

56.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.02 ₱1,072

34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.07 ₱256

11.55%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.18 ₱137

-15.14%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.04 ₱65.7

-46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.64 ₱40.33

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.18 ₱74.5

-10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.98 ₱125

-13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$2.03 ₱128

-18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.14 ₱71.5

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.88 ₱55.2

13.64%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.87 ₱118

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.26 ₱394

92.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.64 ₱292

-20.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.10 ₱573

12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.73 ₱172

8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.12 ₱70.4

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.38 ₱150

-34.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.14 ₱71.7

14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.98 ₱125

-37.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.41 ₱215

-66.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.21 ₱76.0

-38.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.72 ₱45.46

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.49 ₱156

-50.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.76 ₱489

62.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.23 ₱77.5

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.68 ₱106

-8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.29 ₱18.09

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.62 ₱732

-0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.83 ₱52.0

-9.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.83

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.92 ₱121

57.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.24 ₱78.0

-22.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.53%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

60.88%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$98.4 ₱6,196

3.63%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$19.24 ₱1,211

-69.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$31.01 ₱1,952

-66.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$29.89 ₱1,882

-14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.57 ₱288

160.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.87 ₱307

-27.52%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$107 ₱6,729

308.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,691 ₱484.2K

202.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$33.60 ₱2,115

56.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.67 ₱1,238

73.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$70.4 ₱4,433

28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$62.4 ₱3,929

52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$250 ₱15.7K

136.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$197 ₱12.4K

51.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$504 ₱31.7K

156.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$315 ₱19.8K

125.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,056 ₱129.4K

127.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,083 ₱68.2K

75.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 Island Garden City of Samal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 26.3% 34% $101

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Island Garden City of Samal

$199 26.6% 4.1% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$84 11.2% 31.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 19.9% 25.6% $30

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Island Garden City of Samal

$65 8.7% 1.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.3% 21.6% $7

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2% 10.8% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $17.00 in Island Garden City of Samal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $199 per month, with Island Garden City of Samal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

116,771

💱 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) Island Garden City of Samal 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Island Garden City of Samal wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Island Garden City of Samal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,121 in Island Garden City of Samal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. 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 $747 in Island Garden City of Samal – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Island Garden City of Samal runs roughly 1% 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 $747 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Island Garden City of Samal but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Island Garden City of Samal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Island Garden City of Samal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $747 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Island Garden City of Samal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.