Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
Learn more

Malaybalay Living Index
42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malaybalay and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Malaybalay versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Malaybalay $756
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Malaybalay versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Malaybalay $1,182
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Malaybalay versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Malaybalay $1,607
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Malaybalay costs roughly 12% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malaybalay 44% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱308

$1.91 ₫49.6K

156.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,035

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-27.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₱221

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-22.69%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$1.85 ₫48.0K

17.84%

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

$0.49 ₱31.14

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.93

$0.32 ₫8,185

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.06 ₫27.5K

6.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.72 ₫44.5K

11.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.66 ₫42.9K

21.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.11 ₫28.7K

1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.2

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-12.00%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$1.67 ₫43.1K

11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-46.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ₱307

$3.68 ₫95.2K

32.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-11.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ₱175

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.24 ₫32.2K

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$1.56 ₫40.3K

53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.8

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-12.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.23 ₫31.9K

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱213

$1.15 ₫29.8K

194.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$0.74 ₫19.1K

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$0.56 ₫14.4K

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$1.24 ₫32.1K

99.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$0.96 ₫24.9K

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.53 ₫39.6K

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.60

$0.26 ₫6,694

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.70 ₱674

$11.51 ₫297.9K

-7.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$0.75 ₫19.5K

12.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.40

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-65.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱119

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-37.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$0.96 ₫24.8K

32.29%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-30.52%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-37.49%

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

$109 ₱6,856

$102 ₫2.6M

6.79%

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

$19.33 ₱1,217

$5.89 ₫152.5K

228.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 ₱1,962

$10.49 ₫271.6K

197.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.01 ₱1,890

$25.54 ₫661.2K

17.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.18 ₱263

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-64.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ₱306

$3.53 ₫91.3K

37.68%

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

$106 ₱6,689

$436 ₫11.3M

-75.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,589 ₱477.8K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-67.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 ₱2,079

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,216

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-43.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,451

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-21.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,821

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-36.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.5K

$589 ₫15.3M

-52.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$298 ₫7.7M

-42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₱27.8K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-65.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.4K

$711 ₫18.4M

-43.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 ₱138.5K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-52.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₱63.4K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-47.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

8.64

-3.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malaybalay

$199 26.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 4% $7.9

Accommodation & Living

Malaybalay

$173 22.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 72.5% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaybalay

$159 21.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 25.7% $41

Eating Out

Malaybalay

$89 11.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 28.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Malaybalay

$83 10.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 48.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Malaybalay

$40 5.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 18% $7.1

Getting Around

Malaybalay

$14 1.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 22.9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Malaybalay and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Malaybalay vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $207 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

1 h behind Malaybalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,712

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malaybalay Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Malaybalay
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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

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

Malaybalay wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Malaybalay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,134 in Malaybalay and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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: $279 in Malaybalay versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $756 per month in Malaybalay versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malaybalay 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 $756 in Malaybalay versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malaybalay delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malaybalay hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malaybalay and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.