Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Toledo City: $647 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toledo City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$647
/mo nomad
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$859
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Toledo City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

  • Toledo City $647
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,023 in Toledo City versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

  • Toledo City $1,023
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,398 in Toledo City versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

  • Toledo City $1,398
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Toledo City costs roughly 25% 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: Toledo City 52% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.87 ₱181
$1.91 ₫49.6K
50.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.01 ₱1,197
$22.84 ₫591.2K
-16.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.11 ₱196
$4.54 ₫117.6K
-31.50%
Cappuccino
$1.87 ₱117
$1.85 ₫48.0K
1.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ₱40.86
$0.56 ₫14.6K
16.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.32
$0.32 ₫8,185
-3.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 ₱67.0
$1.06 ₫27.5K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 ₱108
$1.72 ₫44.5K
-0.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ₱104
$1.66 ₫42.9K
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 ₱76.3
$1.11 ₫28.7K
9.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.90 ₱56.4
$1.00 ₫25.9K
-10.00%
Eggs
$1.88 ₱118
$1.67 ₫43.1K
12.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.95 ₱375
$12.08 ₫312.8K
-50.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.10 ₱258
$3.68 ₫95.2K
11.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.15 ₱387
$10.24 ₫265.1K
-39.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 ₱206
$2.96 ₫76.5K
10.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ₱65.2
$1.24 ₫32.2K
-16.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.80 ₱176
$1.56 ₫40.3K
79.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.38 ₱87.0
$1.30 ₫33.6K
6.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.23 ₫31.9K
89.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.84 ₱179
$1.15 ₫29.8K
146.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 ₱91.3
$0.74 ₫19.1K
95.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 ₱48.04
$0.56 ₫14.4K
35.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.82 ₱51.6
$1.24 ₫32.1K
-33.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 ₱389
$12.60 ₫326.1K
-50.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₱67.9
$0.96 ₫24.9K
12.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₱81.1
$1.53 ₫39.6K
-15.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ₱18.09
$0.26 ₫6,694
11.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.95 ₱626
$11.51 ₫297.9K
-13.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 ₱51.8
$0.75 ₫19.5K
9.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ₱21.08
$0.67 ₫17.4K
-50.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.46 ₱155
$3.03 ₫78.5K
-18.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 ₱73.3
$0.96 ₫24.8K
20.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$31.1K ₫804.3M
-31.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K ₱1.2M
$30.4K ₫785.9M
-35.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.4 ₱3,992
$102 ₫2.6M
-37.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.51 ₱599
$5.89 ₫152.5K
61.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.91 ₱1,694
$10.49 ₫271.6K
156.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.76 ₱2,000
$25.54 ₫661.2K
24.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.72 ₱297
$11.92 ₫308.5K
-60.40%
Cinema Ticket
$1.57 ₱99.1
$3.53 ₫91.3K
-55.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$79.6 ₱5,013
$436 ₫11.3M
-81.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,190 ₱452.7K
$23.3K ₫602.8M
-69.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.71 ₱2,059
$52.8 ₫1.4M
-37.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.70 ₱1,240
$34.15 ₫884.1K
-42.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.4 ₱3,491
$90.3 ₫2.3M
-38.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$55.9 ₱3,519
$95.0 ₫2.5M
-41.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$268 ₱16.9K
$589 ₫15.3M
-54.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$173 ₱10.9K
$298 ₫7.7M
-41.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$508 ₱32.0K
$1,292 ₫33.5M
-60.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 ₱22.7K
$711 ₫18.4M
-49.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,390 ₱150.5K
$4,676 ₫121.1M
-48.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$992 ₱62.5K
$1,904 ₫49.3M
-47.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toledo City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$320 ₱20.1K
$490 ₫12.7M
-34.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6
8.64
-30.56%

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

Last update for Toledo 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.
Groceries & Markets
Toledo City
$185
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$207 11.9% $22
Accommodation & Living
Toledo City
$173
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$298 72.2% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toledo City
$100
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$118 18.6% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Toledo City
$74
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$122 66.2% $49
Eating Out
Toledo City
$67
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$63 5.6% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Toledo City
$35
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$33 6.6% $2.3
Getting Around
Toledo City
$14
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
$17 22.5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Toledo 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 53% 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: $19.00 in Toledo City vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $207 per month, with Toledo City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Toledo City
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
🕒 Local time
13:13 1:13 PM
12:13 12:13 PM
1 h behind Toledo City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
206,692
9,456,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toledo City Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Toledo 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
Toledo City vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toledo City or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Toledo City wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toledo City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Toledo City or in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
On paper, salaries run 53% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Toledo City compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Rent for a central apartment: $268 in Toledo City versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Toledo City compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
All in, you'll spend $647 per month in Toledo City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Toledo City compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
A monthly transit pass in Toledo City runs roughly 16% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Toledo City or in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
At $647 in Toledo City versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Toledo City but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Toledo City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Toledo City or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Both work as nomad bases, but Toledo City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $647 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toledo City hard to pass up.
How safe is Toledo City compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Safety-wise, Toledo 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Toledo City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Toledo City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?