Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $717 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $717 in Pagadian.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Pagadian $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,100 in Pagadian.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Pagadian $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,483 in Pagadian.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Pagadian $1,483

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 20% more expensive than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Pagadian 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.81 ₱240

-49.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.55 ₱1,042

38.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.77 ₱174

63.90%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.93 ₱121

-4.15%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.87 ₱54.7

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.23 ₱14.39

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.42 ₱89.3

-25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.99 ₱125

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.70 ₱107

-2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.05 ₱65.8

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.93 ₱58.5

7.53%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.63 ₱102

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.93 ₱310

145.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.10 ₱258

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.05 ₱381

69.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.60 ₱163

13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.44 ₱90.8

-13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.53 ₱159

-38.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.00 ₱62.8

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.77 ₱111

-30.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.96 ₱123

-41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.90 ₱56.7

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.64 ₱40.28

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.12 ₱197

-60.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.03 ₱506

56.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.02 ₱64.2

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.71 ₱107

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.26 ₱16.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.91 ₱687

5.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.73 ₱46.09

2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.71

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.89 ₱119

60.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.06 ₱66.9

-9.43%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

63.59%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$17.9K ₱1.1M

69.98%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$122 ₱7,687

-16.48%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.52 ₱977

-62.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.08 ₱1,516

-56.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$35.90 ₱2,260

-28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.29 ₱270

177.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.59 ₱352

-36.85%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$129 ₱8,114

238.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$6,823 ₱429.6K

241.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$34.11 ₱2,148

54.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$17.27 ₱1,088

97.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$74.9 ₱4,719

20.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.0 ₱3,527

69.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$263 ₱16.5K

124.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$161 ₱10.2K

84.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$509 ₱32.0K

154.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$358 ₱22.5K

98.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

81.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$989 ₱62.2K

92.56%

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 Pagadian: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Pagadian

$161 22.5% 45.8% $136

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Pagadian

$173 24.1% 16.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Pagadian

$82 11.5% 33% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Pagadian

$162 22.6% 36.6% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Pagadian

$77 10.8% 21.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Pagadian

$47 6.6% 44.4% $14

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 16.4% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $263 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $173 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

199,060

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Pagadian 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pagadian wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pagadian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,075 in Pagadian 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 $263 in Pagadian. 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 $717 in Pagadian – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pagadian runs roughly 5% 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 $717 in Pagadian versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pagadian delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pagadian hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.