Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $704 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

34

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index
42

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

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Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$704

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $704 in Marikina versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Marikina $704
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,094 in Marikina versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Marikina $1,094
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,484 in Marikina versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Marikina $1,484
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Marikina costs roughly 18% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marikina 48% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ₱257

$1.91 ₫49.6K

113.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.37 ₱2,038

$22.84 ₫591.2K

41.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.17 ₱199

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-30.18%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$1.85 ₫48.0K

23.78%

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

$0.55 ₱34.81

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.92

$0.32 ₫8,185

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.72 ₫44.5K

37.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.66 ₫42.9K

11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.11 ₫28.7K

10.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.5

$1.00 ₫25.9K

6.00%

Eggs

$2.08 ₱131

$1.67 ₫43.1K

24.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 ₱466

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-38.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ₱264

$3.68 ₫95.2K

14.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 ₱427

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-33.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₱155

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ₱128

$1.24 ₫32.2K

63.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$1.56 ₫40.3K

49.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$1.30 ₫33.6K

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.23 ₫31.9K

93.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.15 ₫29.8K

202.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$0.74 ₫19.1K

48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.21

$0.56 ₫14.4K

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱184

$1.24 ₫32.1K

136.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 ₱550

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱62.0

$0.96 ₫24.9K

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$1.53 ₫39.6K

33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₱31.34

$0.26 ₫6,694

92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.04

$0.75 ₫19.5K

-2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-65.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-35.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$0.96 ₫24.8K

29.17%

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

$21.7K ₱1.4M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-30.22%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-35.99%

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

$139 ₱8,744

$102 ₫2.6M

36.18%

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

$16.19 ₱1,019

$5.89 ₫152.5K

174.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.10 ₱1,769

$10.49 ₫271.6K

167.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 ₱2,312

$25.54 ₫661.2K

43.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 ₱448

$3.53 ₫91.3K

101.42%

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

$131 ₱8,250

$436 ₫11.3M

-69.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,456 ₱469.4K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-67.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,774

$52.8 ₫1.4M

13.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.37 ₱1,786

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ₱4,745

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₱3,442

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-42.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₱11.3K

$589 ₫15.3M

-69.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.2 ₱4,986

$298 ₫7.7M

-73.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-75.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 ₱9,110

$711 ₫18.4M

-79.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 ₱71.4K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 ₱30.3K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-74.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$387 ₱24.3K

$490 ₫12.7M

-21.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.64

-21.88%

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

Last update for Marikina: 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

Marikina

$206 29.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 0.8% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marikina

$183 26%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 35.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Marikina

$98 14%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 24.6% $24

Eating Out

Marikina

$83 11.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 23.5% $19

Accommodation & Living

Marikina

$79 11.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 276% $219

Sport & Entertainment

Marikina

$51 7.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 36% $18

Getting Around

Marikina

$3.9 * 0.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 329% $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 $180 in Marikina and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 27% 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: $32.00 in Marikina vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $207, with Marikina cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Marikina

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

04:59 4:59 AM

1 h behind Marikina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

456,059

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 17, 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 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Marikina Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Marikina
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

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

Marikina wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marikina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $180 in Marikina versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 $704 per month in Marikina versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $704 in Marikina versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marikina but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Marikina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Marikina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Marikina hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Marikina 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 Marikina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.