Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Santiago City and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $854 and $862 a month, rent and utilities included.

41

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City 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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Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$854

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $854 in Santiago City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Santiago City $854
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,345 in Santiago City versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Santiago City $1,345
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,836 in Santiago City versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Santiago City $1,836
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Santiago City costs roughly 1% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago City 37% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 ₱410

$1.98 ₫51.3K

228.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.27 ₱2,472

$23.14 ₫599.0K

69.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ₱308

$4.76 ₫123.2K

2.73%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ₱168

$1.86 ₫48.1K

43.01%

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

$1.10 ₱69.4

$0.51 ₫13.3K

115.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.94

$0.32 ₫8,191

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.03 ₫26.7K

127.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₱200

$1.71 ₫44.4K

85.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.58 ₫40.8K

21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.09 ₫28.3K

17.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$1.05 ₫27.2K

-3.81%

Eggs

$1.42 ₱89.2

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 ₱463

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-40.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ₱311

$3.58 ₫92.6K

38.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱426

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-35.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$2.97 ₫76.9K

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.26 ₫32.7K

55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₱202

$1.62 ₫42.0K

97.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$1.31 ₫33.8K

76.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 ₱230

$1.19 ₫30.8K

206.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 ₱221

$1.14 ₫29.6K

208.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₱70.4

$0.73 ₫18.8K

53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.26

$0.56 ₫14.6K

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱163

$1.28 ₫33.0K

103.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱503

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱83.0

$0.96 ₫24.9K

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$1.48 ₫38.3K

38.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.03

$0.26 ₫6,704

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ₱715

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-0.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 ₱39.29

$0.68 ₫17.7K

-8.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-35.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$0.91 ₫23.5K

38.46%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-29.46%

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

$19.9K ₱1.3M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-32.11%

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

$155 ₱9,755

$104 ₫2.7M

49.30%

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

$16.27 ₱1,025

$5.79 ₫149.9K

181.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.63 ₱1,991

$10.48 ₫271.3K

201.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.06 ₱2,019

$26.08 ₫675.1K

22.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.73 ₱298

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-60.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₱458

$3.89 ₫100.7K

86.89%

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

$135 ₱8,518

$440 ₫11.4M

-69.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,571 ₱476.7K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-68.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.62 ₱2,116

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-33.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.43 ₱1,223

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₱5,025

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,478

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-42.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.7K

$582 ₫15.1M

-54.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.7K

$297 ₫7.7M

-42.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ₱32.8K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-59.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₱22.7K

$727 ₫18.8M

-50.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,370 ₱149.2K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-50.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₱62.6K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-46.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.64

-13.19%

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

Last update for Santiago City: 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

Santiago City

$213 25%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 2.6% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago City

$203 23.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 40.8% $83

Accommodation & Living

Santiago City

$170 19.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 74.9% $127

Eating Out

Santiago City

$123 14.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 47.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago City

$85 9.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 46% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago City

$47 5.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 27.4% $13

Getting Around

Santiago City

$14 1.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 15.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Santiago City and $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Santiago City vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $208 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h behind Santiago City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,414

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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Highest

Between locations

Santiago City Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santiago 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

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

Santiago City wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,281 in Santiago City and $1,294 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: $266 in Santiago City 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 $854 per month in Santiago City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago City 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 $854 in Santiago City versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santiago City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $854 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santiago City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santiago 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.

Expats usually find Santiago City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.