Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Alor Setar: $859 and $881 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Alor Setar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Alor Setar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $881 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Alor Setar $881

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,277 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Alor Setar $1,277

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $1,672 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Alor Setar $1,672

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 3% cheaper than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Alor Setar are more affordable than the global median – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Alor Setar 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.08 MYR 8.48

-8.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$12.30 MYR 50.2

85.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.28 MYR 17.44

6.07%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$1.82 MYR 7.40

1.65%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.56 MYR 2.30

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.30 MYR 1.24

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$4.25 MYR 17.33

-75.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$4.33 MYR 17.68

-60.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 MYR 6.51

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.85 MYR 3.49

30.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.68 MYR 6.85

-40.48%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.51 MYR 6.17

10.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.63 MYR 55.6

-11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.35 MYR 17.76

-15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.75 MYR 35.68

17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$2.94 MYR 11.98

0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.24 MYR 5.04

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.72 MYR 11.10

-42.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.45 MYR 5.91

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.06 MYR 4.33

16.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.13 MYR 4.62

1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 MYR 2.18

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.50 MYR 18.37

-72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$18.89 MYR 77.1

-33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.90 MYR 11.83

-66.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$5.36 MYR 21.88

-71.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.79 MYR 3.21

-67.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.78 MYR 43.98

6.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.67 MYR 6.80

-55.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.40 MYR 1.65

67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$7.37 MYR 30.08

-58.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.51 MYR 2.09

88.24%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$41.8K MYR 170.3K

-25.60%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$35.9K MYR 146.6K

-15.52%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$37.61 MYR 153

171.15%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$7.49 MYR 30.57

-21.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$21.82 MYR 89.0

-51.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$39.96 MYR 163

-36.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.19 MYR 29.33

65.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.95 MYR 20.19

-28.69%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$427 MYR 1,741

2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

117.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$60.3 MYR 246

-12.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$34.46 MYR 141

-0.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$82.4 MYR 336

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$68.8 MYR 281

38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$371 MYR 1,513

58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$305 MYR 1,246

-2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$662 MYR 2,700

95.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$449 MYR 1,831

58.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,986 MYR 8,103

135.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$970 MYR 3,958

96.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,642 MYR 6,697

-70.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.04

113.86%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Alor Setar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Alor Setar

$305 34.7% 2.5% $7.5

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Alor Setar

$246 27.9% 18.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Alor Setar

$111 12.6% 9.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Alor Setar

$67 7.6% 43.5% $51

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Alor Setar

$85 9.6% 33.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Alor Setar

$50 5.7% 52.9% $17

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Alor Setar

$18 2% 5.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $371 in Alor Setar. 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 235% higher in Alor Setar, 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 $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $12.00 in Alor Setar. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $246 in Alor Setar – so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

423,868

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Alor Setar 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Alor Setar

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

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

Alor Setar costs about 3% more than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,321 in Alor Setar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $436 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $427 in Alor Setar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Alor Setar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where all-in costs run around $859, than in Alor Setar at $881. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alor Setar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs $859 versus $881 in Alor Setar. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alor Setar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.