Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Legazpi: $723 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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 Legazpi
Learn more

Legazpi Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Legazpi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $723 in Legazpi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Legazpi $723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,106 in Legazpi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Legazpi $1,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,490 in Legazpi.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Legazpi $1,490

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 19% more expensive than in Legazpi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Legazpi 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.93 ₱247

-51.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.45 ₱1,036

38.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.76 ₱174

64.49%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.28 ₱143

-18.86%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.62 ₱39.20

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.31 ₱19.29

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.16 ₱73.0

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.99 ₱126

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 ₱101

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.16 ₱73.2

-4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.90 ₱56.9

11.11%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.75 ₱173

-39.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.66 ₱356

113.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.10 ₱258

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.96 ₱438

47.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.44 ₱154

21.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.58 ₱99.7

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.36 ₱148

-33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.13 ₱71.4

15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.01 ₱127

-38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.00 ₱126

-42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.97 ₱61.1

-23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.55 ₱34.66

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.95 ₱186

-57.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.62 ₱480

65.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.01 ₱63.8

-4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.94 ₱122

-21.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.22 ₱13.88

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.95 ₱690

5.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.74 ₱46.46

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.44

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.93 ₱121

56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.17 ₱73.9

-17.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$20.1K ₱1.3M

54.50%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

43.95%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$122 ₱7,697

-16.58%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.86 ₱935

-60.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$30.81 ₱1,940

-65.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$31.98 ₱2,013

-20.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.42 ₱279

169.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.12 ₱322

-31.05%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$132 ₱8,292

231.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,019 ₱504.9K

190.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$32.94 ₱2,074

60.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.55 ₱1,231

74.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$94.6 ₱5,954

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.5 ₱3,555

68.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$195 ₱12.3K

202.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$145 ₱9,114

105.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$519 ₱32.7K

149.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$315 ₱19.9K

125.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,202 ₱138.6K

112.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$913 ₱57.5K

108.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$272 ₱17.1K

80.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

10.12

-14.62%

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 Legazpi: 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%

Legazpi

$145 20% 51.4% $153

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Legazpi

$182 25.2% 12.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Legazpi

$92 12.7% 25.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Legazpi

$168 23.2% 41.9% $50

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Legazpi

$81 11.1% 26.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Legazpi

$42 5.8% 29.5% $9.6

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Legazpi

$14 1.9% 17.6% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $195 in Legazpi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 80% 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 Legazpi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $182 per month, with Legazpi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Legazpi

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

209,533

💱 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) Legazpi 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Legazpi

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 Legazpi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Legazpi wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Legazpi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% 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 $195 in Legazpi. 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 $723 in Legazpi – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Legazpi 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 $723 in Legazpi versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Legazpi but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Legazpi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Legazpi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $723 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Legazpi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Legazpi 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 Legazpi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.