Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Olongapo: $706 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Olongapo
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Olongapo Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Olongapo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $706 in Olongapo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Olongapo $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,067 in Olongapo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Olongapo $1,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,429 in Olongapo.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Olongapo $1,429

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 22% more expensive than in Olongapo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Olongapo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.94 ₱248

-51.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.49 ₱1,038

38.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.77 ₱174

63.90%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.77 ₱111

4.52%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.61 ₱38.13

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.31 ₱19.29

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.98 ₱61.7

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.39 ₱87.4

23.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 ₱101

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.41 ₱26.00

170.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.82 ₱51.9

21.95%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.89 ₱119

-11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.18 ₱326

133.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.48 ₱156

48.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.04 ₱506

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.22 ₱140

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.91 ₱57.5

36.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.34 ₱147

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.02 ₱64.4

27.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.68 ₱106

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.70 ₱107

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.62 ₱38.96

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.42 ₱26.25

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.01 ₱189

-58.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.97 ₱565

40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.91 ₱57.5

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.06 ₱130

-25.73%

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

$12.17 ₱766

-5.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.78 ₱48.96

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.85

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.97 ₱124

53.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.12 ₱70.6

-14.29%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

48.13%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

56.52%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$127 ₱8,003

-19.77%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.27 ₱1,087

-65.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.49 ₱1,479

-55.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$32.45 ₱2,043

-21.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.67 ₱294

155.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.35 ₱274

-18.85%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$79.1 ₱4,977

452.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.7K ₱670.6K

118.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$29.28 ₱1,844

80.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.67 ₱1,238

73.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.9 ₱4,529

25.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.7 ₱3,569

67.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$266 ₱16.8K

121.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$173 ₱10.9K

72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$258 ₱16.2K

400.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$355 ₱22.3K

100.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,473 ₱155.7K

89.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,008 ₱63.5K

88.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$133 ₱8,371

268.22%

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 Olongapo: 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%

Olongapo

$173 24.5% 42.1% $125

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Olongapo

$157 22.2% 24.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Olongapo

$80 11.3% 34.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Olongapo

$168 23.8% 41.8% $50

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Olongapo

$72 10.3% 14.1% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Olongapo

$41 5.8% 26.2% $8.5

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Olongapo

$15 2.2% 8.2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $266 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 268% 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 $16.00 in Olongapo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $157 per month, with Olongapo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Olongapo

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

233,040

💱 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) Olongapo 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Olongapo

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 Olongapo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olongapo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olongapo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 268% 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 $266 in Olongapo. 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 $706 in Olongapo – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Olongapo runs roughly 6% 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 $706 in Olongapo versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Olongapo but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Olongapo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Olongapo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $706 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olongapo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Olongapo 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 Olongapo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.