Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $705 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
Learn more

Puerto Princesa Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $705 in Puerto Princesa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Puerto Princesa $705

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,050 in Puerto Princesa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Puerto Princesa $1,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,396 in Puerto Princesa.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Puerto Princesa $1,396

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 22% more expensive than in Puerto Princesa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Puerto Princesa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.28 ₱269

-55.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$16.84 ₱1,061

35.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.59 ₱289

-1.09%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.34 ₱147

-20.94%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.88 ₱55.2

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.52 ₱32.91

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.26 ₱79.5

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.37 ₱149

-27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.75 ₱110

-5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.02 ₱64.4

8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.82 ₱51.9

21.95%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.75 ₱110

-4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.52 ₱347

118.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$5.43 ₱342

-32.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.59 ₱415

55.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.37 ₱149

24.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.85 ₱53.3

45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.40 ₱151

-35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.14 ₱71.6

14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.53 ₱96.4

-19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.35 ₱84.8

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.94 ₱59.4

-21.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.70 ₱43.92

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.86 ₱180

-56.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.28 ₱458

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.06 ₱66.6

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.35 ₱84.8

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.25 ₱15.71

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.06 ₱697

4.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.74 ₱46.36

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.17

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.95 ₱123

55.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.01 ₱63.7

-4.95%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$17.1K ₱1.1M

81.76%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

58.99%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$62.2 ₱3,915

63.98%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$10.94 ₱689

-46.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.60 ₱1,549

-57.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$32.60 ₱2,052

-21.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.75 ₱299

150.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.05 ₱318

-30.10%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$133 ₱8,357

228.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,060 ₱507.5K

188.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$33.45 ₱2,106

57.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.50 ₱1,228

75.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.1 ₱4,478

26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.2 ₱3,541

68.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$283 ₱17.8K

108.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$201 ₱12.7K

48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$519 ₱32.7K

148.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$313 ₱19.7K

127.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,404 ₱151.4K

94.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,008 ₱63.4K

88.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$223 ₱14.1K

119.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.12

6.40%

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 Princesa: 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%

Puerto Princesa

$201 28.5% 32.5% $97

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Puerto Princesa

$176 24.9% 15.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Puerto Princesa

$81 11.5% 33.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Puerto Princesa

$98 13.9% 17.4% $21

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Puerto Princesa

$93 13.2% 46.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Puerto Princesa

$43 6.1% 31% $10

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Puerto Princesa

$14 2% 16.9% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $283 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 119% 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 Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $176 per month, with Puerto Princesa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

307,079

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Princesa 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Puerto Princesa

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 Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Princesa wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Princesa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 119% 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 $283 in Puerto Princesa. 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 $705 in Puerto Princesa – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Princesa runs roughly 4% 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 $705 in Puerto Princesa versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Princesa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Princesa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.