Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Santa Cruz, Laguna

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $626 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
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Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Santa Cruz, Laguna

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Santa Cruz, Laguna $626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $931 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Santa Cruz, Laguna $931

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,236 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,236

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 37% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, Laguna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.57 ₱99.0

21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$8.09 ₱509

182.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.76 ₱174

64.49%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.78 ₱112

3.93%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.38 ₱23.98

47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.23 ₱14.42

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.99 ₱62.2

7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$0.99 ₱62.1

73.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.63 ₱103

1.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.16 ₱72.9

-4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.00 ₱63.3

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.55 ₱97.5

7.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.65 ₱293

159.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.50 ₱220

5.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.07 ₱445

44.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.46 ₱92.1

102.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$0.46 ₱28.85

169.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.44 ₱91.0

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.02 ₱64.2

27.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.76 ₱111

-30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.74 ₱109

-33.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.67 ₱41.99

10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.53 ₱33.46

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.89 ₱182

-57.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.60 ₱541

46.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.97 ₱61.0

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.08 ₱131

-26.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.21 ₱13.40

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.41 ₱718

0.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.81 ₱51.2

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.36

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.92 ₱121

57.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.25 ₱78.7

-23.20%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.56%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

57.70%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$85.1 ₱5,359

19.81%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$17.58 ₱1,107

-66.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.61 ₱1,487

-55.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$31.48 ₱1,982

-18.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.14 ₱261

187.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.13 ₱323

-31.19%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$134 ₱8,442

225.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.7K ₱675.9K

116.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$28.89 ₱1,819

82.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.72 ₱1,242

73.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$72.5 ₱4,565

24.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$55.8 ₱3,515

70.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$242 ₱15.2K

143.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$157 ₱9,895

89.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$475 ₱29.9K

171.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$302 ₱19.0K

135.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,296 ₱144.5K

103.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$886 ₱55.8K

114.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.75

28.00%

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: 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%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$157 25.1% 47.2% $141

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$156 24.9% 24.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$80 12.7% 35% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$126 20.2% 6.7% $8

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$52 8.2% 18.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$42 6.7% 28% $9.1

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3% 14.7% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $156 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

11:56 11:56 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

123,574

💱 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) Santa Cruz, Laguna 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Santa Cruz, Laguna

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz, Laguna wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Cruz, Laguna the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $940 in Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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 $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Cruz, Laguna runs roughly 1% 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 $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz, Laguna but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz, Laguna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Cruz, Laguna delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $626 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Cruz, Laguna hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.