Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ormoc: $671 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Ormoc
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Ormoc Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Ormoc

🇵🇭 Philippines

$671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $671 in Ormoc.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Ormoc $671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,044 in Ormoc.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Ormoc $1,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,416 in Ormoc.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Ormoc $1,416

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 28% more expensive than in Ormoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Ormoc 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.56 ₱287

-58.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$11.63 ₱732

96.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.82 ₱303

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.15 ₱135

-13.95%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.49 ₱30.91

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 ₱21.05

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.17 ₱73.9

-9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.91 ₱120

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.63 ₱103

1.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.05 ₱66.2

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.95 ₱60.0

5.26%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.70 ₱107

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.69 ₱359

112.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.20 ₱202

15.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.08 ₱446

44.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.34 ₱147

26.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.55 ₱97.6

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.32 ₱146

-32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.13 ₱71.3

15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.89 ₱119

-34.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.12 ₱133

-45.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.95 ₱59.6

-22.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 ₱33.87

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.52 ₱158

-50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.53 ₱537

47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.99 ₱62.4

-3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.85 ₱116

-17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.27 ₱17.23

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.96 ₱753

-3.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.76 ₱47.78

-1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.56

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.96 ₱123

54.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.23 ₱77.3

-21.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$23.9K ₱1.5M

29.75%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

48.84%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$66.2 ₱4,168

54.03%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.15 ₱954

-61.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.66 ₱1,490

-55.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$34.33 ₱2,161

-25.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.76 ₱300

150.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$6.14 ₱387

-42.51%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$135 ₱8,468

224.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$9,002 ₱566.8K

158.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$32.56 ₱2,050

62.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.67 ₱1,239

73.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$76.8 ₱4,838

17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$55.0 ₱3,463

72.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$272 ₱17.1K

116.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$159 ₱9,991

87.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$203 ₱12.8K

537.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$342 ₱21.5K

107.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,570 ₱161.8K

81.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,076 ₱67.7K

76.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.79

27.25%

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 Ormoc: 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%

Ormoc

$159 23.6% 46.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Ormoc

$174 25.8% 16.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Ormoc

$83 12.3% 32.4% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Ormoc

$105 15.6% 11.3% $13

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Ormoc

$90 13.4% 41.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Ormoc

$47 6.9% 42.9% $14

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Ormoc

$15 2.2% 9.6% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $272 in Ormoc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $12.00 in Ormoc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $174 per month, with Ormoc cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Ormoc

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

230,998

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Ormoc 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ormoc

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 Ormoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ormoc wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ormoc the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,007 in Ormoc to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $272 in Ormoc. 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 $671 in Ormoc – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ormoc runs roughly 4% 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 $671 in Ormoc versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ormoc but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Ormoc the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ormoc delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $671 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ormoc hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Ormoc 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 Ormoc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.