Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $579 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao 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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Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$579

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $579 in Tuguegarao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tuguegarao $579
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $926 in Tuguegarao versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tuguegarao $926
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,273 in Tuguegarao versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tuguegarao $1,273
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Tuguegarao costs roughly 33% 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: Tuguegarao 57% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.62 ₱102

$1.91 ₫49.6K

-15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.49 ₱1,038

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-27.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.86 ₱180

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-37.00%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₱117

$1.85 ₫48.0K

0.54%

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

$0.44 ₱27.56

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.48

$0.32 ₫8,185

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₱61.9

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$1.72 ₫44.5K

-4.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.66 ₫42.9K

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$1.11 ₫28.7K

3.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₱47.44

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$1.67 ₫43.1K

20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.08 ₱320

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-57.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 ₱484

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$2.96 ₫76.5K

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.24 ₫32.2K

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$1.56 ₫40.3K

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$1.30 ₫33.6K

-17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.23 ₫31.9K

42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.15 ₫29.8K

50.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.79

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-16.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.17

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.24 ₫32.1K

56.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 ₱552

$12.60 ₫326.1K

-30.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$0.96 ₫24.9K

1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₱132

$1.53 ₫39.6K

36.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.09

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 ₱635

$11.51 ₫297.9K

-12.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.85

$0.75 ₫19.5K

4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-65.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱123

$3.03 ₫78.5K

-35.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$0.96 ₫24.8K

12.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-31.63%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$30.4K ₫785.9M

-35.48%

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

$31.55 ₱1,987

$102 ₫2.6M

-69.06%

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

$17.41 ₱1,096

$5.89 ₫152.5K

195.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.02 ₱1,449

$10.49 ₫271.6K

119.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.30 ₱2,033

$25.54 ₫661.2K

26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.57 ₱288

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-61.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$3.53 ₫91.3K

50.14%

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

$134 ₱8,446

$436 ₫11.3M

-69.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱669.6K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-54.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.57 ₱1,799

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-45.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.36 ₱1,219

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-43.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.20 ₱2,468

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-56.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.67 ₱1,490

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-75.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.7K

$589 ₫15.3M

-55.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 ₱10.8K

$298 ₫7.7M

-42.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 ₱32.9K

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-59.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$711 ₫18.4M

-49.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 ₱154.4K

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-47.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,035 ₱65.2K

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-45.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.0K

$490 ₫12.7M

-57.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.64

-21.88%

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

Last update for Tuguegarao: October 12, 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

Tuguegarao

$175 30.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 18.4% $32

Accommodation & Living

Tuguegarao

$171 29.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 74.2% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuguegarao

$72 12.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 64.5% $46

Eating Out

Tuguegarao

$55 9.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 15.4% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Tuguegarao

$50 8.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 146% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Tuguegarao

$43 7.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 24% $10

Getting Around

Tuguegarao

$13 2.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 27.7% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Tuguegarao 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 136% 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: $16.00 in Tuguegarao vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $207 per month, with Tuguegarao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

00:43 12:43 AM

1 h behind Tuguegarao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,334

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tuguegarao Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tuguegarao
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

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

Tuguegarao wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tuguegarao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 136% 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: $265 in Tuguegarao 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 $579 per month in Tuguegarao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tuguegarao runs roughly 14% 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 $579 in Tuguegarao versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuguegarao but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Tuguegarao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tuguegarao delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $579 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tuguegarao hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.