Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $817 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $500 less a year. The total is higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
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Panglao Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $817 in Panglao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Panglao $817

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,137 in Panglao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Panglao $1,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,456 in Panglao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Panglao $1,456

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 5% more expensive than in Panglao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Panglao 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.08 ₱194

-37.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$23.75 ₱1,495

-3.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.94 ₱248

15.23%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.27 ₱143

-18.50%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.60 ₱101

-65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.53 ₱33.19

-39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.55 ₱97.6

-31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.90 ₱119

-9.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.59 ₱100

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.13 ₱70.9

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.94 ₱59.2

6.38%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.79 ₱113

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$8.58 ₱540

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.61 ₱290

-20.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.62 ₱480

34.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.92 ₱121

54.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.39 ₱87.5

-10.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.87 ₱118

-16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.53 ₱96.1

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.41 ₱152

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.96 ₱123

-41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.14 ₱71.8

-35.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.47 ₱29.49

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.91 ₱183

-57.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$5.70 ₱359

121.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.79 ₱49.65

21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.56 ₱97.9

-1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.23 ₱14.60

13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.32 ₱713

1.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.73 ₱46.14

2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.53

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.94 ₱122

56.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.90 ₱57.0

6.67%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.49%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

58.02%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$58.9 ₱3,711

73.02%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$6.75 ₱425

-12.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.52 ₱1,544

-57.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$20.96 ₱1,320

21.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.71 ₱297

153.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$3.92 ₱247

-9.95%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$135 ₱8,504

223.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,988 ₱502.9K

191.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$32.48 ₱2,045

62.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.59 ₱1,233

74.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$66.4 ₱4,183

35.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$47.63 ₱2,999

99.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$280 ₱17.7K

110.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$343 ₱21.6K

-13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$567 ₱35.7K

128.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$390 ₱24.6K

82.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$947 ₱59.6K

393.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,014 ₱63.8K

87.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.2

20.00%

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 Panglao: 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%

Panglao

$343 42% 15.2% $45

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Panglao

$183 22.3% 11.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Panglao

$75 9.2% 39% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Panglao

$90 11% 23.8% $28

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Panglao

$84 10.3% 32% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Panglao

$29 3.5% 11.7% $3.8

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Panglao

$14 1.7% 15.1% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $280 in Panglao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $24.00 in Panglao. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $183, with Panglao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Panglao

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

08:58 8:58 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

39,839

💱 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) Panglao 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Panglao

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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panglao wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panglao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,226 in Panglao 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 $280 in Panglao. 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 $817 in Panglao – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Panglao 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 $817 in Panglao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Panglao but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Panglao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Panglao delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $817 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panglao hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Panglao 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 Panglao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.