Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $663 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $663 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,008 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,354 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,354

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 30% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.65 ₱293

-58.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$14.46 ₱911

57.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.06 ₱318

-10.28%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.29 ₱144

-19.21%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.57 ₱98.9

-64.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.33 ₱21.09

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.47 ₱92.7

-27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.02 ₱127

-14.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 ₱101

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.21 ₱75.9

-8.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.84 ₱52.7

19.05%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.88 ₱118

-11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.75 ₱299

154.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.79 ₱302

-23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.13 ₱512

25.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.31 ₱146

28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.77 ₱112

-29.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.30 ₱145

-32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.22 ₱76.8

6.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.05 ₱129

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.95 ₱123

-41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.85 ₱53.8

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.51 ₱32.17

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.97 ₱187

-58.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$7.42 ₱467

69.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.92 ₱58.1

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.92 ₱121

-20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.20 ₱12.57

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.61 ₱668

8.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.79 ₱49.93

-5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.52

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.90 ₱120

59.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.03 ₱64.9

-6.80%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$18.2K ₱1.1M

70.26%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

57.03%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$138 ₱8,657

-25.83%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.33 ₱902

-58.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$16.88 ₱1,062

-37.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$29.59 ₱1,863

-13.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.67 ₱294

155.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.16 ₱325

-31.59%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$116 ₱7,296

276.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,216 ₱454.3K

222.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$35.47 ₱2,233

48.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$20.88 ₱1,315

63.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$64.0 ₱4,029

41.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$55.6 ₱3,501

70.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$129 ₱8,141

355.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$80.7 ₱5,082

268.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$330 ₱20.8K

291.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$188 ₱11.9K

277.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,555 ₱160.9K

83.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$916 ₱57.6K

107.91%

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: 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%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$81 12.2% 72.9% $217

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$182 27.5% 12.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$79 12% 35.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$169 25.5% 42.5% $50

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$99 14.9% 55.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$40 6% 22.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$13 2% 19.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $129 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $14.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $182 per month, with Subic Bay Freeport Zone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

19:34 7:34 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

221,178

💱 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) Subic Bay Freeport Zone 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subic Bay Freeport Zone wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $994 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 $129 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $663 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Subic Bay Freeport Zone runs roughly 8% 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 $663 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subic Bay Freeport Zone but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Subic Bay Freeport Zone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.