Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $748 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $748 in Zamboanga.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Zamboanga $748

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,123 in Zamboanga.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Zamboanga $1,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,497 in Zamboanga.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Zamboanga $1,497

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$1.33 ₱83.5

48.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$16.41 ₱1,033

41.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$3.50 ₱220

36.00%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.09 ₱132

-11.00%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.86 ₱54.0

-40.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.40 ₱24.88

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.44 ₱90.8

-28.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$2.05 ₱129

-16.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.75 ₱110

-9.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.41 ₱89.0

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.16 ₱73.0

-9.48%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.46 ₱91.7

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$10.01 ₱630

23.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$4.05 ₱255

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$3.33 ₱209

217.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$3.17 ₱200

-6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.18 ₱74.1

6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$3.82 ₱241

-57.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.16 ₱73.1

12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.26 ₱79.6

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$2.56 ₱161

-55.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$0.86 ₱54.4

-15.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.51 ₱32.39

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$2.74 ₱172

-53.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$4.23 ₱266

194.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.30 ₱82.1

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$1.97 ₱124

-24.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.22 ₱13.88

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$11.19 ₱704

2.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$0.82 ₱51.9

-17.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.23 ₱14.50

169.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$1.88 ₱118

59.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.02 ₱64.4

-10.78%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

40.62%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

51.09%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$124 ₱7,826

-16.52%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$15.48 ₱975

-62.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$47.25 ₱2,975

-77.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$35.74 ₱2,250

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$4.67 ₱294

154.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$5.07 ₱319

-23.27%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$133 ₱8,372

230.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$8,082 ₱508.9K

197.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$32.93 ₱2,073

54.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$19.29 ₱1,215

82.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$70.8 ₱4,457

30.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$55.7 ₱3,505

73.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$266 ₱16.8K

118.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$175 ₱11.0K

69.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$332 ₱20.9K

290.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$360 ₱22.6K

102.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,366 ₱149.0K

102.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$998 ₱62.9K

85.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$193 ₱12.2K

153.44%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Zamboanga

$175 23.3% 41.1% $122

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Zamboanga

$184 24.6% 11.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Zamboanga

$80 10.7% 35% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Zamboanga

$187 25% 55.8% $67

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Zamboanga

$62 8.4% 2.9% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Zamboanga

$46 6.1% 35.5% $12

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Zamboanga

$14 1.9% 13.6% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $266 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 153% 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 $16.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $184 per month, with Zamboanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Zamboanga 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Zamboanga

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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 153% 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $266 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $748 in Zamboanga – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zamboanga 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 $748 in Zamboanga versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga 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.