Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Tagum 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 Tagum 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 $437 in Tagum City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Tagum City $437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $541 in Tagum City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Tagum City $541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $645 in Tagum City.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Tagum City $645

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 96% more expensive than in Tagum 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, Tagum City 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$5.50 ₱346

-65.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$12.68 ₱799

80.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.05 ₱318

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.29 ₱144

-19.21%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.87 ₱117

-43.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.44 ₱90.9

19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.62 ₱102

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.88 ₱119

-11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.06 ₱507

27.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$6.41 ₱404

-53.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.37 ₱86.0

-29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.25 ₱15.76

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.37 ₱86.2

-29.93%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$55.7 ₱3,506

83.12%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.09 ₱510

-27.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.46 ₱1,729

-61.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$23.71 ₱1,493

7.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$3.28 ₱206

7.62%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$159 ₱9,992

271.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$129 ₱8,124

130.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$323 ₱20.3K

300.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$203 ₱12.8K

141.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

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 Tagum City: 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%

Tagum City

$129 29.5% 56.7% $169

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9% 58.1% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Tagum City

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Tagum City

$91 20.9% 22.9% $27

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6% 55.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Tagum City

$30 6.9% 7.2% $2.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2% 94% $16

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 $159 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 141% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $87.0 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

296,202

💱 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) Tagum City 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Tagum City wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tagum City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 141% 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 $159 in Tagum City. 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 $437 in Tagum City – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 139% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Tagum City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Tagum City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tagum City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $437 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tagum City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Tagum 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.