Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Santiago City: $862 and $854 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Santiago 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 Santiago City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $854 in Santiago City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Santiago City $854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,345 in Santiago City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Santiago City $1,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,836 in Santiago City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Santiago City $1,836

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 1% more expensive than in Santiago City, 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, Santiago City 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$6.51 ₱410

-69.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$39.27 ₱2,472

-41.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.89 ₱308

-2.66%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.66 ₱168

-30.08%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$1.10 ₱69.4

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.54 ₱33.94

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$2.34 ₱147

-55.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$3.17 ₱200

-46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.92 ₱121

-17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.28 ₱80.6

-14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.01 ₱63.7

3.96%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.42 ₱89.2

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$7.36 ₱463

67.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$4.95 ₱311

-27.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$6.77 ₱426

55.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$2.43 ₱153

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.96 ₱123

-35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$3.20 ₱202

-49.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$2.31 ₱145

-43.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$3.65 ₱230

-67.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$3.52 ₱221

-67.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$1.12 ₱70.4

-34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.58 ₱36.26

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$2.60 ₱163

-50.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$7.99 ₱503

55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.32 ₱83.0

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$2.05 ₱129

-27.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.24 ₱15.03

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$11.36 ₱715

0.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.62 ₱39.29

9.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.23 ₱14.53

169.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$1.93 ₱121

55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.26 ₱79.4

-27.78%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

41.77%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$19.9K ₱1.3M

47.29%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$155 ₱9,755

-33.02%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$16.27 ₱1,025

-64.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$31.63 ₱1,991

-66.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$32.06 ₱2,019

-18.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$4.73 ₱298

151.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$7.27 ₱458

-46.49%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$135 ₱8,518

225.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$7,571 ₱476.7K

217.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$33.62 ₱2,116

51.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$19.43 ₱1,223

81.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$79.8 ₱5,025

15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$55.2 ₱3,478

74.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$266 ₱16.7K

119.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$170 ₱10.7K

74.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$521 ₱32.8K

149.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$360 ₱22.7K

101.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,370 ₱149.2K

101.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$994 ₱62.6K

86.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.5

15.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Santiago City

$170 19.9% 42.8% $127

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Santiago City

$213 25% 2.6% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Santiago City

$85 9.9% 31.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Santiago City

$203 23.7% 69% $83

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Santiago City

$123 14.4% 91.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Santiago City

$47 5.5% 37.7% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Santiago City

$14 1.7% 13.3% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $266 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $39.00 in Santiago City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $213 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

09:31 9:31 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

108,414

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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) Santiago City 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Santiago 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 Santiago City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago City wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,294 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,281 in Santiago City 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $266 in Santiago City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $854 in Santiago City – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago City 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 $854 in Santiago City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santiago City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $854 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santiago City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Santiago 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.

Expats usually find Santiago City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.