Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Palawan: $792 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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 Palawan
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Palawan Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$792

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $792 in Palawan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Palawan $792

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,230 in Palawan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Palawan $1,230

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,668 in Palawan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Palawan $1,668

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 8% more expensive than in Palawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Palawan 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.62 ₱228

-47.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.14 ₱1,205

19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.37 ₱212

34.72%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.63 ₱165

-29.66%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.83 ₱52.5

-32.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.39 ₱24.65

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.29 ₱81.4

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.16 ₱136

-20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.90 ₱120

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.26 ₱79.4

-11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-0.99%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.98 ₱125

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$7.83 ₱493

54.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.21 ₱265

-12.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.78 ₱490

31.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.00 ₱189

-1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.56 ₱98.2

-20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.72 ₱171

-42.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.62 ₱102

-19.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.31 ₱146

-46.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.59 ₱163

-55.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.06 ₱66.9

-30.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.71 ₱44.86

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.78 ₱175

-55.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$6.85 ₱431

83.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.20 ₱75.4

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.03 ₱128

-24.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.28 ₱17.81

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.29 ₱711

1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.83 ₱52.4

-9.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.24 ₱15.20

179.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$2.15 ₱136

40.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.10 ₱69.2

-12.73%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$26.5K ₱1.7M

17.23%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$20.1K ₱1.3M

51.33%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$114 ₱7,183

-10.61%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$32.54 ₱2,049

-81.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.55 ₱1,734

-61.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$34.48 ₱2,171

-25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.36 ₱275

173.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.80 ₱365

-39.14%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$150 ₱9,463

190.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$4,228 ₱266.2K

450.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$45.09 ₱2,839

16.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$26.54 ₱1,671

28.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$74.9 ₱4,713

20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$53.6 ₱3,377

77.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$264 ₱16.6K

122.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$177 ₱11.1K

68.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$589 ₱37.1K

119.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$390 ₱24.5K

82.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,359 ₱148.5K

98.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$994 ₱62.6K

91.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.67

29.54%

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 Palawan: 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%

Palawan

$177 22.4% 40.6% $121

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Palawan

$204 25.7% 1.8% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Palawan

$90 11.4% 26.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Palawan

$174 22% 47.2% $56

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Palawan

$86 10.9% 36% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Palawan

$46 5.8% 41.3% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Palawan

$14 1.8% 13.2% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $264 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $204 per month, with Palawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Palawan

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

939,594

💱 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) Palawan 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Palawan

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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palawan wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Palawan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,187 in Palawan 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 $264 in Palawan. 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 $792 in Palawan – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Palawan runs roughly 2% 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 $792 in Palawan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Palawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Palawan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $792 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Palawan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Palawan 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 Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.