Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagbilaran City: $624 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Tagbilaran City
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Tagbilaran City Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Tagbilaran City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $624 in Tagbilaran City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Tagbilaran City $624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,001 in Tagbilaran City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Tagbilaran City $1,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,378 in Tagbilaran City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Tagbilaran City $1,378

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 38% more expensive than in Tagbilaran City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.98 ₱187

-35.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$17.24 ₱1,085

32.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$2.89 ₱182

57.09%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.47 ₱156

-25.10%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.94 ₱58.9

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.46 ₱29.04

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.83 ₱52.1

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.18 ₱137

-21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.55 ₱97.4

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.06 ₱66.9

4.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.90 ₱56.7

11.11%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.75 ₱110

-4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.33 ₱587

29.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.37 ₱275

-15.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.55 ₱475

35.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.86 ₱180

3.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.35 ₱85.2

-8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.41 ₱152

-35.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.52 ₱95.7

-14.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$2.42 ₱152

-49.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.97 ₱124

-41.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.65 ₱40.89

13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.46 ₱29.15

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.38 ₱150

-47.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$6.11 ₱385

106.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.90 ₱56.8

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.07 ₱67.3

42.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.47 ₱29.39

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.77 ₱48.52

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.50

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.38 ₱276

-30.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.04 ₱65.5

-7.69%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

47.92%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

54.93%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$80.8 ₱5,085

26.26%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$14.28 ₱899

-58.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$25.27 ₱1,591

-58.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$11.21 ₱706

127.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$3.35 ₱211

255.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$3.62 ₱228

-2.49%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$281 ₱17.7K

55.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$8,018 ₱504.8K

190.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$37.11 ₱2,336

42.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$17.96 ₱1,131

90.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$64.0 ₱4,031

40.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$57.0 ₱3,591

66.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$194 ₱12.2K

204.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$139 ₱8,774

113.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$477 ₱30.0K

170.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$339 ₱21.3K

109.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$785 ₱49.4K

496.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$470 ₱29.6K

305.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$178 ₱11.2K

174.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

7.2

20.00%

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 Tagbilaran City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Tagbilaran City

$139 22.3% 53.2% $158

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Tagbilaran City

$187 30% 9.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Tagbilaran City

$79 12.7% 35.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Tagbilaran City

$120 19.3% 1.7% $2

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Tagbilaran City

$76 12.2% 20.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Tagbilaran City

$18 3% 43.4% $14

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Tagbilaran City

$3.8 * 0.6% 77.2% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $194 in Tagbilaran City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 175% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $17.00 in Tagbilaran City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $187 per month, with Tagbilaran City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

86,411

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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) Tagbilaran City 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Tagbilaran City wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tagbilaran City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 175% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $194 in Tagbilaran City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $624 in Tagbilaran City – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $624 in Tagbilaran City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagbilaran City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Tagbilaran City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tagbilaran City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $624 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tagbilaran City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Tagbilaran 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 Tagbilaran City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.