Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Taytay: $748 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Learn more

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Taytay
Learn more

Taytay Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Taytay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $748 in Taytay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Taytay $748

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,131 in Taytay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Taytay $1,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,513 in Taytay.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Taytay $1,513

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 15% more expensive than in Taytay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.84 ₱305

-60.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.29 ₱1,214

18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.16 ₱199

43.67%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.62 ₱165

-29.39%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.79 ₱49.44

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.49 ₱30.93

-34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.18 ₱74.3

-10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$1.56 ₱98.4

10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.68 ₱106

-1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.11 ₱69.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-0.99%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.04 ₱128

-18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$4.96 ₱313

143.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.45 ₱218

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$6.89 ₱434

48.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.22 ₱140

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.60 ₱101

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.40 ₱151

-35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.06 ₱67.0

22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.73 ₱109

-28.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.78 ₱112

-35.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.65 ₱41.12

13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.49 ₱30.67

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$3.03 ₱191

-59.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$8.73 ₱549

44.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.91 ₱57.6

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.10 ₱132

-27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.28 ₱17.57

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.46 ₱784

-7.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$0.78 ₱48.86

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.23 ₱14.53

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$1.93 ₱122

56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.22 ₱76.5

-21.31%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

46.16%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

54.71%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$123 ₱7,751

-17.17%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$15.73 ₱990

-62.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$23.52 ₱1,481

-55.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$29.67 ₱1,868

-13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$4.05 ₱255

194.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.13 ₱323

-31.19%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$131 ₱8,275

232.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$9,053 ₱570.0K

157.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$28.64 ₱1,803

84.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$19.71 ₱1,241

73.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$71.1 ₱4,478

26.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$56.0 ₱3,527

69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$230 ₱14.5K

156.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$186 ₱11.7K

60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$532 ₱33.5K

142.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$358 ₱22.5K

98.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,490 ₱156.8K

87.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,015 ₱63.9K

87.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

6.75

28.00%

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 Taytay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Taytay

$186 24.8% 37.7% $112

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Taytay

$172 23% 17% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Taytay

$79 10.6% 35.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Taytay

$162 21.7% 37.2% $44

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Taytay

$94 12.5% 47.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Taytay

$40 5.3% 22.5% $7.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Taytay

$16 2.1% 6.9% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $230 in Taytay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Taytay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $172 per month, with Taytay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Taytay

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

386,451

💱 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) Taytay 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Taytay

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 Taytay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taytay wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taytay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,122 in Taytay 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 $230 in Taytay. 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 $748 in Taytay – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taytay 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 $748 in Taytay versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taytay but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Taytay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taytay delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $748 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taytay hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Taytay 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 Taytay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.