Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Lapu-Lapu: $859 and $845 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Lapu-Lapu
Learn more

Lapu-Lapu Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Lapu-Lapu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $845 in Lapu-Lapu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Lapu-Lapu $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,195 in Lapu-Lapu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Lapu-Lapu $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,545 in Lapu-Lapu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Lapu-Lapu $1,545

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 2% more expensive than in Lapu-Lapu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Lapu-Lapu 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.95 ₱186

-35.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$15.86 ₱998

44.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.90 ₱246

16.41%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.54 ₱160

-27.17%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.58 ₱36.53

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.38 ₱23.93

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.29 ₱80.9

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.25 ₱142

-23.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.76 ₱111

-5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.42 ₱89.2

-21.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.94 ₱59.5

6.38%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.04 ₱129

-18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.68 ₱358

112.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.45 ₱280

-17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.71 ₱486

32.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.36 ₱211

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.45 ₱91.5

-14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.37 ₱149

-34.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.54 ₱97.1

-15.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.39 ₱151

-48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.98 ₱125

-41.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.19 ₱75.2

-37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.68 ₱42.80

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$1.62 ₱102

-23.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$4.07 ₱256

209.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.05 ₱65.9

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.51 ₱95.2

1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.25 ₱15.81

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.74 ₱46.77

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.51

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.90 ₱246

-22.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.33 ₱83.4

-27.82%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

44.29%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

55.28%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$120 ₱7,559

-15.07%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$13.99 ₱881

-57.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$28.04 ₱1,765

-62.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$12.62 ₱795

102.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.60 ₱353

-36.96%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$103 ₱6,509

322.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,848 ₱494.1K

196.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$47.78 ₱3,008

10.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$25.45 ₱1,603

34.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$23.86 ₱1,502

278.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$58.5 ₱3,683

62.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$437 ₱27.5K

34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$317 ₱19.9K

-5.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$1,214 ₱76.4K

6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$473 ₱29.8K

50.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$229 ₱14.4K

113.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.2

20.00%

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 Lapu-Lapu: 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%

Lapu-Lapu

$317 37.5% 6.3% $19

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Lapu-Lapu

$189 22.4% 8.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$70 8.3% 42.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Lapu-Lapu

$162 19.2% 37% $44

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Lapu-Lapu

$81 9.5% 26.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Lapu-Lapu

$24 2.8% 26.9% $8.8

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Lapu-Lapu

$2.9 * 0.3% 82.6% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $437 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 114% 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 $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $189 per month, with Lapu-Lapu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Lapu-Lapu

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

497,604

💱 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) Lapu-Lapu 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Lapu-Lapu

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 Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lapu-Lapu wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lapu-Lapu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 114% 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 $437 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $845 in Lapu-Lapu – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $845 in Lapu-Lapu versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lapu-Lapu but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Lapu-Lapu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lapu-Lapu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $845 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lapu-Lapu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.