Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Puerto Galera: $859 and $831 a month, rent and utilities included.

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 Puerto Galera
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Puerto Galera Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Puerto Galera

🇵🇭 Philippines

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $831 in Puerto Galera.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Puerto Galera $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,253 in Puerto Galera.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Puerto Galera $1,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,675 in Puerto Galera.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Puerto Galera $1,675

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 3% more expensive than in Puerto Galera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Puerto Galera 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.30 ₱271

-55.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$18.98 ₱1,195

20.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.76 ₱174

64.49%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.67 ₱168

-30.71%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.73 ₱46.07

-23.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.27 ₱16.92

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.46 ₱91.9

-27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.81 ₱177

-38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.74 ₱110

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.14 ₱71.8

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.84 ₱53.0

19.05%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.76 ₱111

-5.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.64 ₱418

81.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.12 ₱259

-10.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.92 ₱435

47.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.97 ₱250

-25.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.43 ₱89.7

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$3.43 ₱216

-54.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.13 ₱71.0

15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.36 ₱148

-47.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.38 ₱213

-65.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.37 ₱86.1

-45.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.91 ₱57.0

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.74 ₱173

-54.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.51 ₱473

67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.28 ₱80.7

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.77 ₱112

-13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.28 ₱17.65

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$9.50 ₱598

21.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.76 ₱48.10

-1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.50

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$2.49 ₱157

21.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.18 ₱74.4

-18.64%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

45.71%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

60.23%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$166 ₱10.4K

-38.41%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.43 ₱908

-59.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.90 ₱1,505

-56.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$36.56 ₱2,302

-30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.30 ₱271

177.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$7.22 ₱454

-51.11%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$71.8 ₱4,521

507.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$2,507 ₱157.8K

828.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$36.23 ₱2,281

45.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$22.91 ₱1,443

49.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$77.8 ₱4,896

16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$76.6 ₱4,819

24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$271 ₱17.1K

117.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$172 ₱10.8K

72.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$526 ₱33.1K

145.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$356 ₱22.4K

99.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,278 ₱143.4K

105.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$901 ₱56.7K

111.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 Puerto Galera: 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%

Puerto Galera

$172 20.7% 42.2% $126

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Puerto Galera

$203 24.5% 1.9% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Puerto Galera

$96 11.6% 21.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Puerto Galera

$204 24.6% 72.3% $86

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Puerto Galera

$92 11% 44.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Puerto Galera

$51 6.1% 56.4% $18

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Puerto Galera

$13 1.5% 24.7% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $271 in Puerto Galera. 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 Puerto Galera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $203 per month, with Puerto Galera cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Puerto Galera

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

11:42 11:42 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

36,606

💱 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) Puerto Galera 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Puerto Galera

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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Galera wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Galera the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,246 in Puerto Galera 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 $271 in Puerto Galera. 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 $831 in Puerto Galera – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Galera runs roughly 21% 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 $831 in Puerto Galera versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Galera but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Galera the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Galera delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $831 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Galera hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Puerto Galera 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 Puerto Galera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.