Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $948 in Manila.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Manila $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,508 in Manila.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Manila $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,068 in Manila.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Manila $2,068

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 9% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$5.46 ₱344

-65.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$26.93 ₱1,695

-15.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.90 ₱246

16.41%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.62 ₱165

-29.39%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.36 ₱85.5

-58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.83 ₱52.3

-61.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.22 ₱76.9

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.32 ₱146

-25.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.96 ₱123

-15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.42 ₱89.1

-21.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.04 ₱65.4

-3.85%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.23 ₱140

-25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$7.70 ₱485

56.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.91 ₱309

-25.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.12 ₱448

43.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.23 ₱204

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.92 ₱121

-35.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.93 ₱184

-46.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.79 ₱113

-27.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.32 ₱146

-46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.73 ₱172

-57.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.12 ₱133

-65.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.59 ₱37.25

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.18 ₱200

-61.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$9.81 ₱618

28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.34 ₱84.1

-28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.00 ₱126

-23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.47 ₱29.47

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.56 ₱791

-8.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.73 ₱46.07

2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.20

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.87 ₱118

62.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.28 ₱80.6

-25.00%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

45.40%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

57.28%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$124 ₱7,822

-17.92%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.73 ₱990

-62.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.40 ₱1,536

-57.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$43.31 ₱2,727

-41.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.79 ₱365

105.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$6.76 ₱425

-47.78%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$630 ₱39.7K

-30.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$9,004 ₱566.9K

158.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$58.3 ₱3,668

-9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$27.34 ₱1,721

24.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$75.6 ₱4,758

19.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.6 ₱3,564

67.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$536 ₱33.8K

9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$284 ₱17.9K

4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-31.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$654 ₱41.2K

8.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$4,438 ₱279.4K

5.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-24.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$467 ₱29.4K

4.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.43

16.29%

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 Manila: 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%

Manila

$284 29.9% 4.7% $14

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Manila

$222 23.5% 7.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Manila

$98 10.3% 20% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Manila

$164 17.3% 38.9% $46

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Manila

$106 11.2% 67.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Manila

$57 6% 74.3% $24

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Manila

$16 1.7% 2.6% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $536 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $222 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Manila 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% 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 $536 in Manila. 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 $948 in Manila – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 9% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $948 in Manila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Manila 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.