Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Koronadal City: $532 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Koronadal City
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Koronadal City Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Koronadal City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Koronadal 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 Koronadal 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 $532 in Koronadal City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Koronadal City $532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $806 in Koronadal City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Koronadal City $806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,079 in Koronadal City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Koronadal City $1,079

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 61% more expensive than in Koronadal 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, Koronadal City 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.41 ₱278

-56.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.63 ₱1,047

37.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.39 ₱213

33.92%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.19 ₱138

-15.53%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.39 ₱24.25

43.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.31 ₱19.42

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.17 ₱73.7

-9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.99 ₱125

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.58 ₱99.7

5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.65 ₱40.74

70.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.92 ₱57.9

8.70%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.32 ₱83.1

26.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.43 ₱405

87.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.91 ₱183

26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$4.88 ₱307

109.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.42 ₱153

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.86 ₱54.1

44.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.41 ₱88.6

10.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.08 ₱67.8

20.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.93 ₱121

-36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.67 ₱168

-56.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.25 ₱78.7

-40.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.66 ₱41.28

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.45 ₱154

-49.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.36 ₱464

71.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.93 ₱58.3

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.63 ₱103

-6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.24 ₱15.08

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.97 ₱690

4.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.71 ₱44.45

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.74

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.93 ₱121

56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.03 ₱65.1

-6.80%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

45.39%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$14.1K ₱889.7K

114.82%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$108 ₱6,774

-5.21%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$19.26 ₱1,213

-69.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$30.78 ₱1,938

-65.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$22.00 ₱1,385

16.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.60 ₱290

159.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$2.84 ₱179

24.30%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$106 ₱6,657

312.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,522 ₱473.6K

209.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$12.11 ₱762

335.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$8.70 ₱548

292.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$47.06 ₱2,963

91.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$39.79 ₱2,505

138.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$70.8 ₱4,454

733.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$45.83 ₱2,886

549.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$141 ₱8,895

814.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$95.5 ₱6,014

644.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,391 ₱150.5K

95.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,125 ₱70.8K

69.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$126 ₱7,908

289.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.5

32.92%

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 Koronadal 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%

Koronadal City

$46 8.6% 84.6% $252

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Koronadal City

$155 29.1% 25.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Koronadal City

$48 9.1% 60.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Koronadal City

$158 29.6% 33.2% $39

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Koronadal City

$84 15.8% 32.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Koronadal City

$28 5.2% 15.1% $4.9

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Koronadal City

$14 2.6% 16.6% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $70.8 in Koronadal City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 290% 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 Koronadal City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $155 per month, with Koronadal City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Koronadal City

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

174,942

💱 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) Koronadal City 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Koronadal 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 Koronadal City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koronadal City wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Koronadal City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 290% 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 $70.8 in Koronadal 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 $532 in Koronadal City – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Koronadal City 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 $532 in Koronadal City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Koronadal City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Koronadal City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Koronadal City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $532 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Koronadal City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Koronadal 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 Koronadal City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.