Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $558 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Naga
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Naga Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $558 in Naga.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Naga $558

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $852 in Naga.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Naga $852

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,147 in Naga.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Naga $1,147

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 54% more expensive than in Naga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Naga 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$5.26 ₱331

-63.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$13.42 ₱845

70.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.70 ₱170

68.15%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.67 ₱168

-30.71%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.71 ₱44.50

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.25 ₱15.80

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.32 ₱83.3

-19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$3.14 ₱197

-45.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.95 ₱123

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.85 ₱53.3

30.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.82 ₱51.7

21.95%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.70 ₱107

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$10.19 ₱642

18.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.07 ₱256

-9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.99 ₱440

46.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.98 ₱125

49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.63 ₱102

-23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.44 ₱154

-36.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$2.43 ₱153

-46.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.57 ₱162

-52.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.22 ₱140

-48.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$4.76 ₱300

-84.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.62 ₱39.28

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.89 ₱182

-57.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$3.77 ₱237

234.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.61 ₱101

-40.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.57 ₱36.08

31.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.26 ₱79.4

-23.81%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$99.1 ₱6,242

2.86%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$23.41 ₱1,474

-74.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.23 ₱1,651

-60.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$8.07 ₱508

216.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.80 ₱302

-26.46%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,052 ₱507.0K

189.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$158 ₱9,919

274.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$85.9 ₱5,411

246.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$251 ₱15.8K

414.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$194 ₱12.2K

266.94%

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

$145 ₱9,126

237.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

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 Naga: 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%

Naga

$86 15.4% 71.1% $212

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Naga

$206 * 36.9% 0.7% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Naga

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Naga

$149 26.7% 25.7% $30

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Naga

$99 17.7% 55.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Naga

$18 3.2% 45.8% $15

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Naga

$0.6 * 0.1% 96.6% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $158 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 238% 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 $13.00 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $206 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Naga

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

23:09 11:09 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

115,750

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Naga 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Naga

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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naga wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Naga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 238% 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 $158 in Naga. 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 $558 in Naga – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $558 in Naga versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Naga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Naga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $558 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Naga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Naga 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 Naga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.