Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $620 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $620 in Polomolok.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Polomolok $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $985 in Polomolok.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Polomolok $985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,350 in Polomolok.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Polomolok $1,350

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 39% more expensive than in Polomolok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Polomolok 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.58 ₱99.2

20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.91 ₱1,065

35.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.12 ₱133

114.15%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.23 ₱140

-17.04%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.41 ₱26.06

36.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.67 ₱42.48

-52.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.12 ₱70.4

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.90 ₱120

-9.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.67 ₱105

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.87 ₱54.7

27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.67 ₱42.21

49.25%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.92 ₱121

-13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.47 ₱407

86.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.69 ₱170

36.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$5.63 ₱355

81.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.59 ₱163

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.54 ₱34.16

129.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.42 ₱153

-35.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$0.77 ₱48.17

68.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.22 ₱76.6

0.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.80 ₱176

-58.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.78 ₱49.30

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.71 ₱44.43

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.40 ₱151

-48.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.19 ₱453

75.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.01 ₱63.7

-4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.47 ₱92.2

4.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.22 ₱13.74

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.28 ₱710

2.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.77 ₱48.76

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.25 ₱15.81

168.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.89 ₱119

60.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.93 ₱58.3

3.23%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$16.2K ₱1.0M

91.84%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$17.3K ₱1.1M

75.31%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$52.3 ₱3,290

95.18%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$19.17 ₱1,207

-69.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.21 ₱1,650

-59.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$31.95 ₱2,011

-20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.68 ₱295

154.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$3.87 ₱244

-8.79%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$109 ₱6,848

301.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$1,344 ₱84.6K

1632.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$33.49 ₱2,109

57.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.40 ₱1,222

76.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$62.8 ₱3,952

43.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$60.6 ₱3,818

56.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$269 ₱17.0K

118.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$171 ₱10.8K

74.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$580 ₱36.5K

122.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$374 ₱23.6K

89.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,452 ₱154.4K

90.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,010 ₱63.6K

88.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$243 ₱15.3K

101.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

44.00%

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 Polomolok: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Polomolok

$171 27.6% 42.6% $127

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Polomolok

$158 25.6% 23.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Polomolok

$79 12.8% 35.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Polomolok

$98 15.8% 17.5% $21

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Polomolok

$59 9.6% 6.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Polomolok

$40 6.4% 21.7% $7.1

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Polomolok

$14 2.3% 14.8% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $269 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 102% 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 $17.00 in Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $158 per month, with Polomolok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

172,605

💱 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) Polomolok 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Polomolok

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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polomolok wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Polomolok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 102% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $269 in Polomolok. 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 $620 in Polomolok – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Polomolok 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 $620 in Polomolok versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polomolok but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Polomolok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Polomolok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $620 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Polomolok hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Polomolok 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 Polomolok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.