Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $646 in Lucena.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Lucena $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,041 in Lucena.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Lucena $1,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,436 in Lucena.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Lucena $1,436

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 33% more expensive than in Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Lucena 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.50 ₱94.5

27.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$18.91 ₱1,191

20.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$1.72 ₱108

163.95%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.32 ₱83.2

40.15%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.33 ₱20.89

69.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.29 ₱18.27

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.38 ₱86.7

-23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.28 ₱80.9

34.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.66 ₱105

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.17 ₱73.5

-5.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.92 ₱57.7

8.70%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.75 ₱111

-4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.82 ₱430

77.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.21 ₱265

-12.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.13 ₱449

43.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$4.04 ₱254

-26.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.37 ₱86.1

-9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.58 ₱225

-56.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.17 ₱73.6

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.27 ₱143

-45.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.30 ₱208

-65.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.42 ₱89.6

-47.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.91 ₱57.1

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.74 ₱173

-54.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.74 ₱488

62.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.34 ₱84.6

-28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.76 ₱111

-13.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.24 ₱14.97

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.08 ₱761

-4.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.81 ₱51.0

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.20

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$2.54 ₱160

19.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.23 ₱77.6

-21.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

45.84%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

61.82%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$47.89 ₱3,017

112.95%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$6.37 ₱401

-7.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$11.06 ₱697

-5.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$34.15 ₱2,151

-25.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.02 ₱253

196.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$7.38 ₱465

-52.17%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$71.9 ₱4,531

506.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$2,515 ₱158.4K

825.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$35.78 ₱2,254

47.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$22.69 ₱1,429

50.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$79.7 ₱5,023

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$74.4 ₱4,686

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$262 ₱16.5K

125.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$170 ₱10.7K

75.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$516 ₱32.5K

150.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$357 ₱22.5K

99.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,274 ₱143.2K

105.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$921 ₱58.0K

106.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$320 ₱20.2K

52.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

23.43%

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 Lucena: 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%

Lucena

$170 26.3% 43% $128

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Lucena

$206 31.9% 0.6% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Lucena

$96 14.8% 21.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Lucena

$65 10.1% 44.8% $53

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Lucena

$45 7% 29.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Lucena

$49 7.6% 50% $16

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Lucena

$15 2.3% 10.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $262 in Lucena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 53% 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 $19.00 in Lucena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $206 per month, with Lucena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

278,924

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Lucena 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Lucena

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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lucena wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lucena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% 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 $262 in Lucena. 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 $646 in Lucena – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lucena 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 $646 in Lucena versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lucena but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Lucena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lucena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $646 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lucena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Lucena 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 Lucena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.