Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Quezon City and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 and $855 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
Learn more

Quezon City 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

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$855

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Quezon City versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Quezon City $855
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Quezon City versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Quezon City $1,385
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,916 in Quezon City versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Quezon City $1,916
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Monthly costs are close between Quezon City and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon); which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ₱279

$1.90 ₫49.1K

134.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 ₱1,178

$23.32 ₫603.5K

-19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.86 ₱179

$4.67 ₫120.9K

-38.76%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ₱174

$1.85 ₫47.9K

49.73%

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

$0.69 ₱43.17

$0.56 ₫14.4K

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₱18.35

$0.34 ₫8,857

-14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ₱92.5

$1.01 ₫26.2K

45.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₱171

$1.69 ₫43.7K

60.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱107

$1.58 ₫40.8K

8.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.04 ₫27.0K

10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱53.0

$0.99 ₫25.7K

-14.14%

Eggs

$1.76 ₱110

$1.60 ₫41.5K

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 ₱428

$12.23 ₫316.6K

-44.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱269

$3.54 ₫91.7K

21.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 ₱457

$10.44 ₫270.2K

-30.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 ₱241

$3.09 ₫79.9K

24.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ₱88.9

$1.26 ₫32.5K

12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 ₱224

$1.57 ₫40.6K

127.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.3

$1.26 ₫32.5K

-9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 ₱150

$1.17 ₫30.4K

105.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ₱217

$1.15 ₫29.7K

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₱86.3

$0.72 ₫18.7K

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.0

$0.54 ₫14.0K

79.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ₱178

$1.22 ₫31.5K

132.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 ₱478

$12.28 ₫317.8K

-37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱81.4

$0.98 ₫25.4K

32.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₱110

$1.49 ₫38.5K

18.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱24.91

$0.28 ₫7,249

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.79 ₱1,179

$11.62 ₫300.8K

61.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.86

$0.73 ₫18.9K

4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-67.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₱155

$3.17 ₫82.0K

-22.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.4

$0.95 ₫24.6K

25.26%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$30.7K ₫795.6M

-31.58%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$30.6K ₫791.6M

-38.20%

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

$165 ₱10.3K

$102 ₫2.6M

60.82%

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

$14.28 ₱896

$5.65 ₫146.1K

152.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 ₱1,518

$10.52 ₫272.2K

130.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.71 ₱2,365

$25.86 ₫669.2K

45.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.41 ₱214

$11.82 ₫305.9K

-71.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱453

$3.39 ₫87.8K

112.98%

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

$73.1 ₱4,583

$438 ₫11.3M

-83.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,472 ₱155.1K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-89.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.88 ₱2,250

$51.5 ₫1.3M

-30.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.30 ₱1,398

$34.56 ₫894.3K

-35.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 ₱4,989

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 ₱4,729

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 ₱19.7K

$577 ₫14.9M

-45.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₱11.9K

$292 ₫7.6M

-34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₱46.8K

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ₱32.6K

$717 ₫18.6M

-27.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,326 ₱145.9K

$4,714 ₫122.0M

-50.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 ₱89.1K

$1,882 ₫48.7M

-24.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ₱27.6K

$486 ₫12.6M

-9.32%

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 Quezon City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quezon City

$207 23.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 0.7% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quezon City

$203 23.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 41.6% $85

Accommodation & Living

Quezon City

$190 22%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 53.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Quezon City

$96 11.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 27.8% $27

Eating Out

Quezon City

$94 10.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 32.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Quezon City

$52 6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 37.4% $20

Getting Around

Quezon City

$22 2.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 24.7% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $314 in Quezon City and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19.00 in Quezon City vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $206, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

1 h behind Quezon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,936,116

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quezon City Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quezon City
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

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

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $314 in Quezon City versus $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 62% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $855 in Quezon City versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quezon City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quezon City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Quezon City 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.

It comes down to priorities – Quezon City wins on affordability, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.