Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $748 a month against $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga 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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Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $748 in Zamboanga versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zamboanga $748
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,123 in Zamboanga versus $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zamboanga $1,123
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,497 in Zamboanga versus $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Zamboanga $1,497
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958

Living in Zamboanga costs roughly 13% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zamboanga 45% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.98 ₫51.3K

-32.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.41 ₱1,033

$23.14 ₫599.0K

-29.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.50 ₱220

$4.76 ₫123.2K

-26.47%

Cappuccino

$2.09 ₱132

$1.86 ₫48.1K

12.37%

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

$0.86 ₱54.0

$0.51 ₫13.3K

68.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱24.88

$0.32 ₫8,191

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 ₱90.8

$1.03 ₫26.7K

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$1.71 ₫44.4K

19.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.58 ₫40.8K

10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.0

$1.09 ₫28.3K

29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.05 ₫27.2K

10.48%

Eggs

$1.46 ₱91.7

$1.64 ₫42.6K

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 ₱630

$12.33 ₫319.2K

-18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 ₱255

$3.58 ₫92.6K

13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.33 ₱209

$10.56 ₫273.3K

-68.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 ₱200

$2.97 ₫76.9K

6.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ₱74.1

$1.26 ₫32.7K

-6.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 ₱241

$1.62 ₫42.0K

135.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱73.1

$1.31 ₫33.8K

-11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ₱79.6

$1.19 ₫30.8K

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ₱161

$1.14 ₫29.6K

124.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ₱54.4

$0.73 ₫18.8K

17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.39

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₱172

$1.28 ₫33.0K

114.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.23 ₱266

$12.46 ₫322.5K

-66.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱82.1

$0.96 ₫24.9K

35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱124

$1.48 ₫38.3K

33.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.88

$0.26 ₫6,704

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.19 ₱704

$11.43 ₫296.0K

-2.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$0.68 ₫17.7K

20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-37.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$0.91 ₫23.5K

12.09%

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

$21.7K ₱1.4M

$30.6K ₫791.4M

-28.89%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$29.4K ₫760.1M

-33.81%

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

$124 ₱7,826

$104 ₫2.7M

19.78%

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

$15.48 ₱975

$5.79 ₫149.9K

167.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.25 ₱2,975

$10.48 ₫271.3K

350.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.74 ₱2,250

$26.08 ₫675.1K

37.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.67 ₱294

$11.90 ₫308.1K

-60.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱319

$3.89 ₫100.7K

30.33%

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

$133 ₱8,372

$440 ₫11.4M

-69.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,082 ₱508.9K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-66.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.93 ₱2,073

$50.9 ₫1.3M

-35.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,215

$35.18 ₫910.8K

-45.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ₱4,457

$92.1 ₫2.4M

-23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 ₱3,505

$96.5 ₫2.5M

-42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.8K

$582 ₫15.1M

-54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₱11.0K

$297 ₫7.7M

-41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₱20.9K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-74.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₱22.6K

$727 ₫18.8M

-50.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱149.0K

$4,782 ₫123.8M

-50.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$998 ₱62.9K

$1,853 ₫48.0M

-46.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$193 ₱12.2K

$490 ₫12.7M

-60.54%

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 Zamboanga: 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.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zamboanga

$187 25%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9% 35.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

Zamboanga

$184 24.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1% 13% $24

Accommodation & Living

Zamboanga

$175 23.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4% 69.8% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Zamboanga

$80 10.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3% 53.7% $43

Eating Out

Zamboanga

$62 8.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5% 3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Zamboanga

$46 6.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9% 26.2% $12

Getting Around

Zamboanga

$14 1.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 15.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 153% 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 Zamboanga vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $208 per month, with Zamboanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

03:33 3:33 AM

1 h behind Zamboanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 20, 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 20, 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

Zamboanga Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zamboanga
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

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

Zamboanga wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zamboanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 153% 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: $266 in Zamboanga 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 $748 per month in Zamboanga versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zamboanga runs roughly 2% 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 $748 in Zamboanga versus $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zamboanga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $748 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zamboanga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.