Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Mandaue: $859 and $825 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
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Mandaue Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $825 in Mandaue.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Mandaue $825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,203 in Mandaue.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Mandaue $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,581 in Mandaue.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Mandaue $1,581

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 4% more expensive than in Mandaue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Mandaue 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.96 ₱187

-35.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$23.45 ₱1,476

-2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.99 ₱251

13.78%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.58 ₱162

-28.29%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.54 ₱97.0

-63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.49 ₱31.05

-34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.72 ₱108

-38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.28 ₱144

-24.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.95 ₱123

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.09 ₱68.7

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.93 ₱58.7

7.53%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.97 ₱124

-15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.91 ₱624

21.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.36 ₱275

-15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.63 ₱481

34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.47 ₱219

-14.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.43 ₱90.0

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.28 ₱144

-31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.47 ₱92.5

-11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.34 ₱147

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.97 ₱124

-41.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.67 ₱42.41

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.37 ₱149

-47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$6.29 ₱396

100.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.23 ₱77.4

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.72 ₱108

-11.05%

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

$9.67 ₱609

19.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.74 ₱46.69

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.19

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.88 ₱119

61.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.32 ₱83.3

-27.27%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.39%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

58.74%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$98.3 ₱6,187

3.78%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.07 ₱886

-58.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.93 ₱1,758

-62.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$33.01 ₱2,078

-22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.27 ₱332

126.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.69 ₱358

-37.96%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$130 ₱8,204

234.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,979 ₱502.4K

191.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$32.91 ₱2,072

60.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.62 ₱1,235

74.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$76.1 ₱4,790

18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$57.7 ₱3,632

64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$429 ₱27.0K

37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$251 ₱15.8K

18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$747 ₱47.1K

72.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$353 ₱22.2K

101.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,174 ₱136.9K

115.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$902 ₱56.8K

111.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$234 ₱14.8K

108.81%

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 Mandaue: 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%

Mandaue

$251 30.5% 15.6% $47

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Mandaue

$205 24.8% 1.2% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Mandaue

$84 10.2% 31.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Mandaue

$140 17% 18.5% $22

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Mandaue

$88 10.7% 38.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Mandaue

$44 5.4% 36.1% $12

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Mandaue

$12 1.5% 25.5% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $429 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 109% 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 $23.00 in Mandaue. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $205, with Mandaue cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

364,116

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

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Mandaue

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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 109% 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 $429 in Mandaue. 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 $825 in Mandaue – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandaue runs roughly 19% 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 $825 in Mandaue versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $825 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.