Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and San Fernando, La Union

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $719 in San Fernando, La Union.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
San Fernando, La Union $719

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
San Fernando, La Union $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,485 in San Fernando, La Union.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
San Fernando, La Union $1,485

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 19% more expensive than in San Fernando, La Union, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, San Fernando, La Union 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.93 ₱248

-51.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$14.86 ₱936

53.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.45 ₱154

85.31%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.92 ₱121

-3.65%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.63 ₱39.53

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.30 ₱18.67

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.15 ₱72.3

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.78 ₱112

-3.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.68 ₱106

-1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.08 ₱67.7

2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.03 ₱65.0

-2.91%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.93 ₱122

-13.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$6.38 ₱402

89.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.77 ₱238

-2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.48 ₱471

36.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.38 ₱150

24.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.60 ₱101

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.71 ₱170

-42.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.21 ₱76.1

7.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.26 ₱142

-45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$2.07 ₱131

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.00 ₱62.8

-26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.58 ₱36.41

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.97 ₱187

-58.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.16 ₱451

75.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.11 ₱70.0

-13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.63 ₱103

-6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.25 ₱15.89

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.92 ₱687

5.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.81 ₱51.2

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.21 ₱13.52

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.77 ₱111

71.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.02 ₱64.5

-5.88%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

47.94%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.3K ₱1.1M

66.21%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$109 ₱6,863

-6.44%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$16.96 ₱1,068

-65.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.32 ₱1,720

-61.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$32.83 ₱2,067

-22.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.60 ₱290

159.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.76 ₱363

-38.72%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$114 ₱7,179

282.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$9,119 ₱574.1K

155.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$33.24 ₱2,093

58.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$17.66 ₱1,112

93.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.9 ₱4,524

25.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$55.6 ₱3,503

70.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$262 ₱16.5K

124.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$169 ₱10.7K

75.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$521 ₱32.8K

148.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$361 ₱22.7K

96.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,558 ₱161.1K

82.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,037 ₱65.3K

83.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.79

27.25%

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 San Fernando, La Union: 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%

San Fernando, La Union

$169 23.6% 43.1% $128

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$183 25.5% 11.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.2% 34.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

San Fernando, La Union

$153 21.3% 29.5% $35

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

San Fernando, La Union

$75 10.4% 17.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

San Fernando, La Union

$44 6.2% 36% $12

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

San Fernando, La Union

$14 1.9% 17% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $262 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $183 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

12:18 12:18 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

83,003

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) San Fernando, La Union 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando, La Union wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Fernando, La Union the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,079 in San Fernando, La Union 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 $262 in San Fernando, La Union. 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 $719 in San Fernando, La Union – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando, La Union runs roughly 5% 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 $719 in San Fernando, La Union versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando, La Union but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando, La Union the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Fernando, La Union delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $719 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Fernando, La Union hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and San Fernando, La Union 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 San Fernando, La Union gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.