Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $907 in Pasay, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pasay 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $907 in Pasay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Pasay $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,237 in Pasay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Pasay $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,567 in Pasay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Pasay $1,567

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Pasay 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.40 ₱277

-56.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$18.94 ₱1,193

20.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.84 ₱179

59.86%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.26 ₱142

-18.14%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.59 ₱37.36

-5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.30 ₱19.20

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.16 ₱73.2

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.58 ₱99.3

8.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.71 ₱108

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.13 ₱71.4

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.97 ₱61.4

3.09%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.96 ₱123

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.15 ₱324

134.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.13 ₱260

-10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.18 ₱452

42.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.24 ₱141

32.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.53 ₱96.4

-18.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.31 ₱146

-32.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.16 ₱73.2

12.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.37 ₱149

-48.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.34 ₱211

-65.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.25 ₱78.7

-40.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.87 ₱55.0

-35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.88 ₱181

-56.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.68 ₱483

64.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.98 ₱61.7

-2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.77 ₱111

-13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.17 ₱10.43

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.77 ₱48.72

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.20

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.87 ₱118

62.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.24 ₱78.1

-22.58%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

44.38%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

57.78%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$139 ₱8,741

-26.55%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.54 ₱916

-59.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.75 ₱1,558

-57.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$47.70 ₱3,003

-46.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.26 ₱331

-32.89%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$71.9 ₱4,524

507.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$2,541 ₱160.0K

816.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$35.39 ₱2,228

49.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.32 ₱1,217

76.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.6 ₱4,505

26.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$63.6 ₱4,004

49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$429 ₱27.0K

37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$312 ₱19.7K

-4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$827 ₱52.1K

56.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$364 ₱22.9K

95.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,891 ₱119.0K

147.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$575 ₱36.2K

231.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$510 ₱32.1K

-3.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

23.43%

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 Pasay: 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%

Pasay

$313 34.5% 4.9% $15

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Pasay

$186 20.6% 10.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Pasay

$85 9.4% 30.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Pasay

$178 19.7% 50.5% $60

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Pasay

$83 9.2% 31.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Pasay

$58 6.4% 78.6% $26

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Pasay

$2.5 * 0.3% 85.1% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $429 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pasay pays 4% 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 $19.00 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $186 per month, with Pasay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Pasay

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

416,522

💱 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) Pasay 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Pasay

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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Pasay. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Pasay. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $429 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pasay pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $907 in Pasay – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $907 in Pasay, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Pasay. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Pasay 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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Pasay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.