Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $736 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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 Surigao
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Surigao Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $736 in Surigao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Surigao $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,124 in Surigao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Surigao $1,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,512 in Surigao.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Surigao $1,512

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 17% more expensive than in Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Surigao 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.98 ₱251

-52.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.81 ₱1,122

28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.87 ₱181

58.19%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.99 ₱125

-7.04%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.73 ₱45.85

-23.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.32 ₱19.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.26 ₱79.4

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.13 ₱134

-19.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.62 ₱102

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.98 ₱61.6

13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.99 ₱62.0

1.01%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.94 ₱122

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$5.75 ₱362

110.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.14 ₱261

-11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.88 ₱433

48.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.07 ₱131

43.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.58 ₱99.2

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.56 ₱161

-39.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.17 ₱73.6

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.95 ₱123

-36.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.76 ₱111

-34.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.82 ₱51.5

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.60 ₱37.75

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.97 ₱187

-58.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$6.78 ₱427

85.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.05 ₱66.3

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.72 ₱108

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.26 ₱16.48

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.30 ₱712

1.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.66 ₱41.51

13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.66

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.87 ₱118

62.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.32 ₱83.0

-27.27%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

66.10%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$18.0K ₱1.1M

68.85%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$124 ₱7,799

-17.67%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.97 ₱1,006

-63.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$34.80 ₱2,191

-69.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$35.92 ₱2,262

-28.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$5.18 ₱326

130.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.96 ₱313

-28.83%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$144 ₱9,095

202.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$6,892 ₱433.9K

237.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$36.99 ₱2,329

42.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$20.93 ₱1,318

63.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$69.6 ₱4,384

29.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$49.50 ₱3,116

91.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$243 ₱15.3K

142.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$168 ₱10.6K

77.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$461 ₱29.0K

180.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$363 ₱22.9K

95.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,434 ₱153.3K

92.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,108 ₱69.8K

71.81%

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 Surigao: 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%

Surigao

$168 22.9% 43.5% $130

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Surigao

$174 23.7% 15.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Surigao

$80 10.8% 34.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Surigao

$175 23.7% 47.6% $56

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Surigao

$79 10.7% 24.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Surigao

$46 6.2% 40.6% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Surigao

$14 1.9% 14.9% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $243 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $174 per month, with Surigao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Surigao

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

03:13 3:13 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

171,107

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Surigao 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Surigao

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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surigao wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surigao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,104 in Surigao 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 $243 in Surigao. 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 $736 in Surigao – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Surigao runs roughly 2% 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 $736 in Surigao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surigao but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Surigao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Surigao delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $736 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Surigao hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Surigao 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 Surigao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.