Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $529 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $529 in Nueva Ecija.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Nueva Ecija $529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $935 in Nueva Ecija.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Nueva Ecija $935

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,340 in Nueva Ecija.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Nueva Ecija $1,340

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 62% more expensive than in Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Nueva Ecija 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.90 ₱246

-51.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.99 ₱1,070

34.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.74 ₱173

65.69%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.42 ₱89.2

30.28%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.56 ₱35.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.30 ₱19.18

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.97 ₱61.2

9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.56 ₱98.5

10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.67 ₱105

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.96 ₱60.5

15.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.89 ₱56.0

12.36%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.54 ₱96.7

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.22 ₱329

131.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.31 ₱208

11.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$5.65 ₱356

81.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.20 ₱139

34.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.73 ₱46.06

69.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.76 ₱111

-11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.08 ₱67.8

20.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.66 ₱105

-25.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.72 ₱109

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.62 ₱38.73

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.43 ₱26.97

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.26 ₱142

-45.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$4.36 ₱275

188.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.96 ₱60.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.00 ₱126

-23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.27 ₱16.99

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$5.51 ₱347

108.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.70 ₱44.14

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.14 ₱9.01

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.01 ₱63.9

200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.92 ₱58.1

4.35%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$16.1K ₱1.0M

93.47%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

58.46%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$78.7 ₱4,954

29.60%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.23 ₱1,085

-65.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$18.30 ₱1,152

-42.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$36.48 ₱2,297

-29.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.38 ₱276

172.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.48 ₱282

-21.21%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$134 ₱8,440

225.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.6K ₱669.6K

118.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$29.15 ₱1,835

80.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.55 ₱1,231

74.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$70.6 ₱4,442

27.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$54.7 ₱3,445

73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$114 ₱7,197

415.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$68.6 ₱4,321

333.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$173 ₱10.9K

649.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$357 ₱22.5K

99.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,452 ₱154.4K

90.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$883 ₱55.6K

115.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$189 ₱11.9K

159.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.75

28.00%

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 Nueva Ecija: 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%

Nueva Ecija

$69 13% 77% $229

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Nueva Ecija

$147 27.7% 29.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Nueva Ecija

$78 14.8% 36.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Nueva Ecija

$114 21.6% 3.5% $4.1

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Nueva Ecija

$68 12.8% 7% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Nueva Ecija

$45 8.6% 39.4% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Nueva Ecija

$8 1.5% 52% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $114 in Nueva Ecija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 159% 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 $17.00 in Nueva Ecija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $147 per month, with Nueva Ecija cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

04:31 4:31 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

64,610

💱 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) Nueva Ecija 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Nueva Ecija

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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nueva Ecija wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nueva Ecija the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 159% 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 $114 in Nueva Ecija. 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 $529 in Nueva Ecija – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nueva Ecija runs roughly 109% 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 $529 in Nueva Ecija versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nueva Ecija but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Nueva Ecija the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nueva Ecija delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $529 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nueva Ecija hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Nueva Ecija 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 Nueva Ecija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.