Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
Learn more

Tagum 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

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $437 in Tagum City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tagum City $437
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $541 in Tagum City versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tagum City $541
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $645 in Tagum City versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tagum City $645
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Tagum City costs roughly 49% 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: Tagum City 68% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ₱346

$1.91 ₫49.6K

187.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.68 ₱799

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ₱318

$4.54 ₫117.6K

11.23%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$1.85 ₫48.0K

23.78%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱117

$1.06 ₫27.5K

76.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱90.9

$1.72 ₫44.5K

-16.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$1.67 ₫43.1K

12.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 ₱507

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$2.96 ₫76.5K

116.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$0.96 ₫24.9K

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.26 ₫6,694

-3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.96 ₫24.8K

42.71%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

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

$55.7 ₱3,506

$102 ₫2.6M

-45.39%

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

$8.09 ₱510

$5.89 ₫152.5K

37.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₱1,729

$10.49 ₫271.6K

161.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₱1,493

$25.54 ₫661.2K

-7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 ₱206

$3.53 ₫91.3K

-7.08%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱9,992

$589 ₫15.3M

-73.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₱8,124

$298 ₫7.7M

-56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.3K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.8K

$490 ₫12.7M

-58.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

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

Last update for Tagum City: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

$129 29.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 131% $169

Eating Out

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 35.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

$91 20.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 29.7% $27

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 139% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

$30 6.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 7.7% $2.3

Getting Around

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 1565% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

- * 0%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Tagum City and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 141% 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: $13.00 in Tagum City vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $87.0 vs $207 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h behind Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tagum City Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tagum 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

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

Tagum City wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tagum City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 141% 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: $159 in Tagum City 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 $437 per month in Tagum City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 139% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Tagum City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Tagum City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tagum City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $437 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tagum City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tagum 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.