Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $866 a month against $937 in Shah Alam, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. The total is higher in Shah Alam despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Shah Alam

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 Shah Alam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $866 per month in Da Nang vs $937 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Da Nang $866
Shah Alam $937

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Da Nang vs $1,432 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Da Nang $1,402
Shah Alam $1,432

A family of three spends $1,937 per month in Da Nang vs $1,927 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Da Nang $1,937
Shah Alam $1,927

Da Nang is about 8% cheaper than Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Da Nang and Shah Alam are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 36% lower, Shah Alam 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ₫59.7K

$3.69 MYR 15.07

-37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.11 ₫494.6K

$19.56 MYR 79.8

-2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.4K

$4.05 MYR 16.52

12.10%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₫44.7K

$2.98 MYR 12.17

-41.95%

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

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,807

$0.38 MYR 1.57

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₫35.9K

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-59.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₫60.8K

$4.34 MYR 17.69

-45.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₫41.1K

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$1.09 MYR 4.43

12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.48 MYR 6.05

-29.05%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$2.24 MYR 9.12

-33.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ₫343.2K

$13.92 MYR 56.8

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 ₫110.1K

$4.37 MYR 17.81

-2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₫247.8K

$9.48 MYR 38.67

0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₫68.3K

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-23.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.2K

$1.64 MYR 6.71

-26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-52.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₫39.5K

$1.82 MYR 7.40

-15.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.21 MYR 4.93

-5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$2.02 MYR 8.26

-35.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$1.44 MYR 5.86

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.7K

$0.58 MYR 2.35

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-65.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₫195.2K

$18.51 MYR 75.5

-59.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.2K

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-65.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$4.45 MYR 18.15

-51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,963

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.01 ₫129.6K

$16.00 MYR 65.3

-68.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.24 MYR 5.05

-16.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$0.37 MYR 1.53

51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.19 ₫496.8K

$7.23 MYR 29.51

165.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$0.80 MYR 3.26

11.25%

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

$30.4K ₫788.3M

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

-34.02%

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

$28.1K ₫726.2M

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

-22.52%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$37.60 MYR 153

108.88%

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

$6.17 ₫159.8K

$10.01 MYR 40.84

-38.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₫216.1K

$28.97 MYR 118

-71.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.33 ₫655.7K

$40.53 MYR 165

-37.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₫141.0K

$5.02 MYR 20.48

8.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 ₫85.1K

$6.41 MYR 26.17

-48.67%

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

$160 ₫4.2M

$196 MYR 800

-18.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₫385.9M

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

221.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ₫1.2M

$58.4 MYR 238

-23.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 ₫722.2K

$39.89 MYR 163

-30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

$67.8 MYR 276

50.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 ₫2.1M

$68.5 MYR 279

18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₫13.8M

$339 MYR 1,384

56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₫9.0M

$308 MYR 1,258

12.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ₫26.9M

$569 MYR 2,322

82.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₫20.6M

$553 MYR 2,255

43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,852 ₫99.7M

$1,519 MYR 6,197

153.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 ₫34.4M

$1,170 MYR 4,772

13.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$354 ₫9.2M

$1,244 MYR 5,076

-71.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

4.04

165.35%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$346 39.9%

Shah Alam

$308 32.9% 10.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$202 23.3%

Shah Alam

$263 28.1% 30.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13.3%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 8.4% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.7%

Shah Alam

$77 8.2% 17.7% $16

Eating Out

Da Nang

$68 7.9%

Shah Alam

$108 11.5% 57.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$32 3.7%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 67.3% $21

Getting Around

Da Nang

$10 1.2%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 116% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Da Nang versus $339 in Shah Alam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 251% higher in Shah Alam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Da Nang versus $20.00 in Shah Alam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $263 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

23:30 11:30 PM

1 h ahead of Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

812,327

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Shah Alam 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Shah Alam

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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Da Nang, $937 in Shah Alam – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Da Nang and $1,405 in Shah Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Shah Alam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Da Nang and $20.00 in Shah Alam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Da Nang and $937 in Shah Alam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Da Nang to $937 in Shah Alam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shah Alam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.