Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Quezon City: $855 and $855 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $855 in Quezon City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Quezon City $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,385 in Quezon City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Quezon City $1,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,916 in Quezon City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Quezon City $1,916

Monthly costs are close between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Quezon City; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$4.45 ₱279

-57.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$18.78 ₱1,178

24.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$2.86 ₱179

63.29%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.77 ₱174

-33.21%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.69 ₱43.17

-18.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.29 ₱18.35

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$1.47 ₱92.5

-31.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$2.72 ₱171

-37.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.71 ₱107

-7.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.15 ₱72.1

-9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$0.85 ₱53.0

16.47%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.76 ₱110

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$6.83 ₱428

79.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$4.29 ₱269

-17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$7.29 ₱457

43.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.84 ₱241

-19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.42 ₱88.9

-11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$3.57 ₱224

-56.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.14 ₱71.3

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$2.40 ₱150

-51.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$3.45 ₱217

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$1.38 ₱86.3

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.97 ₱61.0

-44.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$2.84 ₱178

-57.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$7.62 ₱478

61.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$1.30 ₱81.4

-24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.76 ₱110

-15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$0.40 ₱24.91

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$18.79 ₱1,179

-38.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$0.76 ₱47.86

-3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.21 ₱13.15

204.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$2.47 ₱155

28.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.19 ₱74.4

-20.17%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

46.16%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

61.81%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$165 ₱10.3K

-37.82%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$14.28 ₱896

-60.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$24.21 ₱1,518

-56.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$37.71 ₱2,365

-31.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$3.41 ₱214

246.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$7.22 ₱453

-53.05%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$73.1 ₱4,583

499.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$2,472 ₱155.1K

842.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$35.88 ₱2,250

43.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$22.30 ₱1,398

54.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$79.5 ₱4,989

14.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$75.4 ₱4,729

25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$314 ₱19.7K

83.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$190 ₱11.9K

53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$746 ₱46.8K

73.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$520 ₱32.6K

37.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$2,326 ₱145.9K

102.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$1,421 ₱89.1K

32.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$440 ₱27.6K

10.28%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Quezon City

$190 22% 34.8% $102

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Quezon City

$207 23.9% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Quezon City

$96 11.1% 21.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Quezon City

$203 23.5% 71.4% $85

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Quezon City

$94 10.9% 48.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Quezon City

$52 6% 59.8% $20

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Quezon City

$22 2.6% 32.9% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $314 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Quezon City. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

17:57 5:57 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

2,936,116

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Quezon City 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Quezon City

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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 10% 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $314 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 62% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $855 in Quezon City versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quezon City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quezon City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Quezon City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Quezon City wins on affordability, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.