Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Bukit Mertajam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $621 a month against $889 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

Jump to prices

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Bukit Mertajam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Da Nang and in Bukit Mertajam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Da Nang versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam.

Da Nang $889
Bukit Mertajam $621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Da Nang versus $976 in Bukit Mertajam.

Da Nang $1,426
Bukit Mertajam $976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,963 in Da Nang versus $1,331 in Bukit Mertajam.

Da Nang $1,963
Bukit Mertajam $1,331

Living in Da Nang is roughly 43% more expensive than in Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Da Nang 35% lower, Bukit Mertajam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.0K

$1.91 MYR 7.76

13.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.0K

$20.97 MYR 85.0

-6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.0K

$3.98 MYR 16.15

13.82%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$3.14 MYR 12.72

-47.77%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$0.69 MYR 2.81

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,901

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$4.51 MYR 18.28

-70.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$6.26 MYR 25.38

-62.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.66 MYR 6.73

-3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.12 MYR 4.55

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.95 MYR 7.91

-46.15%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.3K

$2.55 MYR 10.33

-40.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫330.7K

$13.83 MYR 56.1

-7.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.5K

$4.41 MYR 17.89

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.6K

$9.98 MYR 40.48

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.2K

$3.39 MYR 13.74

-23.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.3K

$1.76 MYR 7.13

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$2.26 MYR 9.17

-43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.5K

$1.55 MYR 6.29

1.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.27 MYR 5.13

-5.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$1.38 MYR 5.58

-5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.12 MYR 4.53

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$0.67 MYR 2.70

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$4.45 MYR 18.04

-66.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.6K

$19.54 MYR 79.2

-59.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$3.42 MYR 13.85

-72.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.3K

$5.08 MYR 20.61

-57.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,693

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

$1.24 MYR 5.01

-16.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

$1.19 MYR 4.84

-52.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.1K

$4.95 MYR 20.07

289.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$0.81 MYR 3.29

12.35%

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

$30.8K ₫795.4M

$43.9K MYR 177.8K

-29.71%

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

$28.4K ₫732.2M

$35.5K MYR 144.0K

-20.08%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$63.1 MYR 256

24.51%

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

$6.35 ₫163.9K

$8.54 MYR 34.62

-25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫214.9K

$26.67 MYR 108

-68.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫698.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.2K

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫86.8K

$5.00 MYR 20.28

-32.60%

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

$423 ₫10.9M

$249 MYR 1,009

70.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫389.5M

$13.1K MYR 53.2K

14.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

$70.5 MYR 286

-35.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫716.1K

$41.35 MYR 168

-32.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

$86.7 MYR 352

16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

$95.0 MYR 385

-12.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$572 MYR 2,321

-36.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

4.17

157.07%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$269 43.3% 34.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Bukit Mertajam

$132 21.3% 14.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$98 15.8% 5.4% $5.1

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Bukit Mertajam

$105 16.8% 58.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 70.4% $24

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.2 * 1.2% 36.6% $4.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Bukit Mertajam pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20 in Da Nang vs $21 in Bukit Mertajam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $269 per month, with Da Nang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

1 h ahead of Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

212,329

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,794 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Bukit Mertajam 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Bukit Mertajam

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

Da Nang vs Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $889 in Da Nang and $621 in Bukit Mertajam, so Bukit Mertajam is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Da Nang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Da Nang pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $889 per month in Da Nang versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam – Bukit Mertajam is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bukit Mertajam gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Da Nang and Bukit Mertajam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.