Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Palawan: $792 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Palawan
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Palawan 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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Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$792

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $792 in Palawan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Palawan $792
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,230 in Palawan versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Palawan $1,230
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Palawan versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Palawan $1,668
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Palawan costs roughly 8% 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: Palawan 41% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 ₱228

$1.91 ₫49.6K

89.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 ₱1,205

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.37 ₱212

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-25.77%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₱165

$1.85 ₫48.0K

42.16%

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

$0.83 ₱52.5

$0.56 ₫14.6K

48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.65

$0.32 ₫8,185

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$1.06 ₫27.5K

21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₱136

$1.72 ₫44.5K

25.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.66 ₫42.9K

14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$1.11 ₫28.7K

13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.00 ₫25.9K

1.00%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱125

$1.67 ₫43.1K

18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 ₱493

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-35.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱265

$3.68 ₫95.2K

14.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 ₱490

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-24.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.96 ₫76.5K

1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱98.2

$1.24 ₫32.2K

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 ₱171

$1.56 ₫40.3K

74.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.30 ₫33.6K

24.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 ₱146

$1.23 ₫31.9K

87.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$1.15 ₫29.8K

125.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$0.74 ₫19.1K

43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.86

$0.56 ₫14.4K

26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 ₱175

$1.24 ₫32.1K

124.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.85 ₱431

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-45.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱75.4

$0.96 ₫24.9K

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱128

$1.53 ₫39.6K

32.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.81

$0.26 ₫6,694

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.29 ₱711

$11.51 ₫297.9K

-1.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.4

$0.75 ₫19.5K

10.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.20

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-64.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₱136

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-29.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱69.2

$0.96 ₫24.8K

14.58%

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

$26.5K ₱1.7M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-14.70%

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

$20.1K ₱1.3M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-33.92%

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

$114 ₱7,183

$102 ₫2.6M

11.87%

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

$32.54 ₱2,049

$5.89 ₫152.5K

452.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.55 ₱1,734

$10.49 ₫271.6K

162.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 ₱2,171

$25.54 ₫661.2K

35.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 ₱275

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-63.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 ₱365

$3.53 ₫91.3K

64.31%

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

$150 ₱9,463

$436 ₫11.3M

-65.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,228 ₱266.2K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-81.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.09 ₱2,839

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.54 ₱1,671

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ₱4,713

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-17.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.6 ₱3,377

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-43.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₱16.6K

$589 ₫15.3M

-55.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.1K

$298 ₫7.7M

-40.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₱37.1K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-54.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₱24.5K

$711 ₫18.4M

-45.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 ₱148.5K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-49.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₱62.6K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-47.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.64

-22.80%

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

Last update for Palawan: 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

Palawan

$204 25.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 1.8% $3.7

Accommodation & Living

Palawan

$177 22.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 68.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palawan

$174 22%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 32% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Palawan

$90 11.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 36% $32

Eating Out

Palawan

$86 10.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 26.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Palawan

$46 5.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 29.2% $13

Getting Around

Palawan

$14 1.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 15.1% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Palawan and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Palawan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $207 per month, with Palawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Palawan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h behind Palawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

939,594

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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Between locations

Palawan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Palawan
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

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

Palawan wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Palawan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,187 in Palawan 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: $264 in Palawan 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 $792 per month in Palawan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Palawan 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 $792 in Palawan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Palawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Palawan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $792 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Palawan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Palawan 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 Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.