Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $623 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $623 in Bukit Mertajam.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Bukit Mertajam $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $979 in Bukit Mertajam.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Bukit Mertajam $979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,335 in Bukit Mertajam.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Bukit Mertajam $1,335

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 38% more expensive than in Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Bukit Mertajam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$20.63 MYR 84.2

10.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.93 MYR 16.03

15.52%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.14 MYR 12.80

-41.08%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.72 MYR 2.93

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$4.30 MYR 17.52

-75.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$6.05 MYR 24.69

-71.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.94 MYR 7.91

-48.45%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.52 MYR 10.26

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$14.07 MYR 57.4

-14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.34 MYR 17.71

-15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.65 MYR 39.35

6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.49 MYR 14.24

-15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.79 MYR 7.32

-30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-32.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.53 MYR 6.23

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-7.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.41 MYR 5.76

-18.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-33.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.67 MYR 2.72

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-71.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$19.48 MYR 79.5

-35.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.65 MYR 14.91

-73.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$5.05 MYR 20.60

-69.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.19 MYR 4.84

-36.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-46.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$5.03 MYR 20.50

-39.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.87 MYR 3.54

10.34%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$41.2K MYR 168.3K

-24.68%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$34.4K MYR 140.4K

-11.79%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$62.4 MYR 255

63.32%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.54 MYR 34.85

-31.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.31 MYR 107

-60.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.06 MYR 20.65

-30.24%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$242 MYR 989

79.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$13.0K MYR 52.9K

79.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$71.6 MYR 292

-26.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$41.95 MYR 171

-18.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$87.5 MYR 357

3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$97.3 MYR 397

-2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$567 MYR 2,312

-13.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.18

106.70%

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 Bukit Mertajam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Bukit Mertajam

$271 43.5% 30.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$134 21.5% 9.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Bukit Mertajam

$97 15.6% 17.8% $21

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Bukit Mertajam

$103 16.6% 62.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 69% $22

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.5 * 1.2% 55.3% $9.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Bukit Mertajam pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $21.00 in Bukit Mertajam. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $271, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

11:24 11:24 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

212,329

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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) Bukit Mertajam 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bukit Mertajam differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $623 including rent). Bukit Mertajam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Bukit Mertajam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $623 in Bukit Mertajam – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $623 in Bukit Mertajam versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bukit Mertajam but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Bukit Mertajam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.