Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kajang, Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $988 in Kajang, Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Kajang, Selangor despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
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Kajang, Selangor Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Kajang, Selangor

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 Kajang, Selangor actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $988 in Kajang, Selangor.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kajang, Selangor $988

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,448 in Kajang, Selangor.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kajang, Selangor $1,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,909 in Kajang, Selangor.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kajang, Selangor $1,909

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kajang, Selangor 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.76 MYR 15.34

-49.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$18.63 MYR 76.0

22.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.81 MYR 19.62

-5.61%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.96 MYR 12.09

-37.50%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.80 MYR 3.26

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.47 MYR 1.92

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$4.35 MYR 17.76

-75.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$6.08 MYR 24.81

-71.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.05 MYR 4.28

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.43 MYR 5.84

-30.07%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.66 MYR 6.78

0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-32.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.56 MYR 18.62

-19.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.80 MYR 39.98

4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.41 MYR 13.91

-13.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.32 MYR 9.48

-32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.53 MYR 6.23

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.34 MYR 5.46

-8.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.65 MYR 6.73

-30.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.13 MYR 4.60

-34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.51 MYR 2.09

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.36 MYR 17.79

-71.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$13.93 MYR 56.8

-9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.86 MYR 11.65

-66.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.11 MYR 12.68

-50.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.76 MYR 3.08

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.29 MYR 50.1

-6.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.21 MYR 4.92

-38.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.71 MYR 2.91

-5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.94 MYR 20.16

-38.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.82 MYR 3.35

17.07%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$42.3K MYR 172.7K

-26.61%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

-13.92%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$52.5 MYR 214

94.36%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.92 MYR 40.45

-40.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.35 MYR 107

-60.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$44.80 MYR 183

-42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.53 MYR 30.73

58.30%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.91 MYR 20.05

-28.11%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$166 MYR 677

162.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$4,418 MYR 18.0K

427.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$54.6 MYR 223

-3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$16.33 MYR 66.6

109.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$81.6 MYR 333

10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$97.2 MYR 396

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$396 MYR 1,615

48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$337 MYR 1,375

-11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$744 MYR 3,035

73.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$502 MYR 2,047

41.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,919 MYR 7,828

143.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,012 MYR 4,129

88.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.06

112.81%

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 Kajang, Selangor: 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%

Kajang, Selangor

$337 34.1% 13.1% $39

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$256 25.9% 23.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kajang, Selangor

$112 11.4% 8.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kajang, Selangor

$89 9% 25% $30

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.1% 87.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kajang, Selangor

$55 5.5% 67.6% $22

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2% 20.6% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $396 in Kajang, Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $256, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

1,047,356

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kajang, Selangor 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kajang, Selangor

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 Kajang, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,482 in Kajang, Selangor to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $396 in Kajang, Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $988 in Kajang, Selangor – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 7% less than in Kajang, Selangor. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $988 in Kajang, Selangor, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kajang, Selangor. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

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