Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $607 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
Learn more

Lipa Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $607 in Lipa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Lipa $607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $937 in Lipa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Lipa $937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,268 in Lipa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Lipa $1,268

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 41% more expensive than in Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Lipa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.14 ₱198

-39.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.01 ₱1,008

42.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.75 ₱173

65.09%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.80 ₱113

2.78%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.45 ₱28.54

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.30 ₱19.15

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.02 ₱64.5

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.60 ₱101

7.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.47 ₱92.7

12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.15 ₱72.5

-3.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.87 ₱54.8

14.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.68 ₱106

-0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.98 ₱314

142.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.39 ₱213

8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.99 ₱503

28.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.29 ₱144

29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.60 ₱101

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.34 ₱147

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.07 ₱67.6

21.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.66 ₱105

-25.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.70 ₱107

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.65 ₱41.18

13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ₱30.96

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.88 ₱181

-56.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.96 ₱564

40.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.99 ₱62.1

-3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.01 ₱126

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.25 ₱15.65

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$4.81 ₱303

139.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.70 ₱43.83

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.48

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.90 ₱119

59.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.11 ₱69.9

-13.51%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

45.60%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$15.9K ₱1.0M

90.57%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$138 ₱8,711

-26.29%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.20 ₱1,083

-65.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.11 ₱1,455

-54.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$32.15 ₱2,024

-20.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$3.93 ₱247

203.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.94 ₱311

-28.54%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$133 ₱8,392

227.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.6K ₱670.2K

118.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$28.59 ₱1,800

84.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.30 ₱1,215

76.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.5 ₱4,504

26.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$55.5 ₱3,496

71.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$80.4 ₱5,061

633.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$61.6 ₱3,881

383.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$251 ₱15.8K

415.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$181 ₱11.4K

292.81%

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

$225 ₱14.2K

117.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

44.00%

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 Lipa: 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%

Lipa

$62 10.2% 79.3% $236

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Lipa

$172 28.3% 17.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Lipa

$79 13% 35.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Lipa

$179 29.4% 51% $60

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Lipa

$66 10.9% 4.6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Lipa

$42 6.9% 28.9% $9.4

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Lipa

$7.7 1.3% 54.1% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $80.4 in Lipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 117% 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 Lipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $172 per month, with Lipa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

332,386

💱 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) Lipa 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Lipa

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 Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lipa wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lipa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 117% 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 $80.4 in Lipa. 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 $607 in Lipa – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lipa runs roughly 139% 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 $607 in Lipa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lipa but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Lipa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lipa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $607 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lipa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Lipa 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 Lipa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.