Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, La Union and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union 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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San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in San Fernando, La Union versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

San Fernando, La Union $719
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

San Fernando, La Union $1,102
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

San Fernando, La Union $1,485
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in San Fernando, La Union costs roughly 16% 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: San Fernando, La Union 47% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ₱248

$1.91 ₫49.6K

105.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.86 ₱936

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-34.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.45 ₱154

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-46.04%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₱121

$1.85 ₫48.0K

3.78%

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

$0.63 ₱39.53

$0.56 ₫14.6K

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱18.67

$0.32 ₫8,185

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.06 ₫27.5K

8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.72 ₫44.5K

3.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.66 ₫42.9K

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-2.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.0

$1.00 ₫25.9K

3.00%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$1.67 ₫43.1K

15.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-47.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ₱238

$3.68 ₫95.2K

2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 ₱471

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-19.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.24 ₫32.2K

29.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₱170

$1.56 ₫40.3K

73.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-6.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.23 ₫31.9K

83.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$1.15 ₫29.8K

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$0.74 ₫19.1K

35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.41

$0.56 ₫14.4K

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$1.24 ₫32.1K

139.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ₱451

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱70.0

$0.96 ₫24.9K

15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.53 ₫39.6K

6.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.89

$0.26 ₫6,694

-3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.92 ₱687

$11.51 ₫297.9K

-5.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$0.75 ₫19.5K

8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.52

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-68.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ₱111

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-41.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$0.96 ₫24.8K

6.25%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-32.40%

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

$18.3K ₱1.1M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-39.83%

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

$109 ₱6,863

$102 ₫2.6M

6.88%

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

$16.96 ₱1,068

$5.89 ₫152.5K

187.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.32 ₱1,720

$10.49 ₫271.6K

160.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.83 ₱2,067

$25.54 ₫661.2K

28.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.60 ₱290

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-61.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 ₱363

$3.53 ₫91.3K

63.17%

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

$114 ₱7,179

$436 ₫11.3M

-73.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,119 ₱574.1K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-60.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,093

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-36.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.66 ₱1,112

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-48.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 ₱4,524

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,503

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-41.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.5K

$589 ₫15.3M

-55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.7K

$298 ₫7.7M

-43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ₱32.8K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱22.7K

$711 ₫18.4M

-49.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₱161.1K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-45.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₱65.3K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-45.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.64

-21.41%

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

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: 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

San Fernando, La Union

$183 25.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 13.1% $24

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando, La Union

$169 23.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 75.8% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando, La Union

$153 21.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 22.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 52.6% $42

Eating Out

San Fernando, La Union

$75 10.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 15.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando, La Union

$44 6.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 26.5% $12

Getting Around

San Fernando, La Union

$14 1.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 20.5% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in San Fernando, La Union and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $207 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

1 h behind San Fernando, La Union

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,003

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

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Highest

Between locations

San Fernando, La Union Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Fernando, La Union
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

San Fernando, La Union vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando, La Union wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Fernando, La Union the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,079 in San Fernando, La Union 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: $262 in San Fernando, La Union 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 $719 per month in San Fernando, La Union versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando, La Union runs roughly 5% 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 $719 in San Fernando, La Union versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando, La Union but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando, La Union the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Fernando, La Union delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $719 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Fernando, La Union hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Fernando, La Union 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 San Fernando, La Union gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.