Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Negros
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Negros 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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Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Negros versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Negros $739
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,121 in Negros versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Negros $1,121
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,503 in Negros versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Negros $1,503
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Negros costs roughly 14% 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: Negros 45% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ₱185

$1.98 ₫51.3K

48.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.99 ₱755

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-48.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱175

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-41.81%

Cappuccino

$1.40 ₱88.2

$1.86 ₫48.1K

-24.73%

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

$0.67 ₱41.96

$0.51 ₫13.3K

31.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.27

$0.32 ₫8,191

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$1.03 ₫26.7K

17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.71 ₫44.4K

14.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.58 ₫40.8K

22.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.09 ₫28.3K

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.6

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-8.57%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱123

$1.64 ₫42.6K

19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₱619

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-20.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ₱284

$3.58 ₫92.6K

25.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$2.97 ₫76.9K

11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱88.6

$1.26 ₫32.7K

11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$1.62 ₫42.0K

48.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.31 ₫33.8K

16.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.19 ₫30.8K

103.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$1.14 ₫29.6K

65.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$0.73 ₫18.8K

56.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.01

$0.56 ₫14.6K

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$1.28 ₫33.0K

127.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ₱385

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-50.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$0.96 ₫24.9K

28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱110

$1.48 ₫38.3K

17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.37

$0.26 ₫6,704

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱713

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.77

$0.68 ₫17.7K

16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-37.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$0.91 ₫23.5K

46.15%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-30.96%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-34.23%

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

$120 ₱7,531

$104 ₫2.7M

15.27%

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

$14.43 ₱908

$5.79 ₫149.9K

149.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 ₱1,754

$10.48 ₫271.3K

165.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 ₱2,051

$26.08 ₫675.1K

24.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.62 ₱291

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-61.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₱342

$3.89 ₫100.7K

39.85%

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

$130 ₱8,211

$440 ₫11.4M

-70.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 ₱509.8K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-66.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ₱2,066

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-35.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.16 ₱1,206

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-45.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,843

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,638

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$582 ₫15.1M

-53.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.6K

$297 ₫7.7M

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₱32.2K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-60.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$727 ₫18.8M

-50.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱154.4K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-48.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ₱62.5K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-46.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 ₱15.2K

$490 ₫12.7M

-50.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

-18.98%

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

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negros

$204 27.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 2% $4.1

Accommodation & Living

Negros

$169 22.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 75.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negros

$162 21.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 25.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Negros

$84 11.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 47.2% $40

Eating Out

Negros

$63 8.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 2.3% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Negros

$43 5.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 22.1% $9.6

Getting Around

Negros

$14 1.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 13.7% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Negros and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 103% 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: $12.00 in Negros vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $208 per month, with Negros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Negros

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

00:08 12:08 AM

1 h behind Negros

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,414,131

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 21, 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 21, 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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Between locations

Negros Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Negros
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

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

Negros wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Negros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 103% 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: $269 in Negros versus $582 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 $739 per month in Negros versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Negros runs roughly 1% 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 $739 in Negros versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Negros but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Negros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Negros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Negros hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Negros 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 Negros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.