Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Kampar: $859 and $894 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kampar
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Kampar Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kampar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $894 in Kampar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kampar $894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,334 in Kampar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kampar $1,334

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,774 in Kampar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kampar $1,774

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 4% less than in Kampar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kampar 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.21 MYR 9.03

-13.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.25 MYR 78.6

18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.92 MYR 20.05

-7.72%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.40 MYR 9.81

-22.92%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.51 MYR 2.07

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.44 MYR 1.81

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.24 MYR 9.16

-52.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$6.16 MYR 25.14

-72.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.99 MYR 8.12

-16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.74 MYR 3.04

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.99 MYR 8.12

-49.75%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$14.13 MYR 57.7

-14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.38 MYR 17.88

-15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$7.48 MYR 30.52

36.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.79 MYR 7.30

-30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.30 MYR 9.38

-32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.56 MYR 6.36

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.29 MYR 5.24

-4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.35 MYR 5.52

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.13 MYR 4.62

-34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.68 MYR 2.76

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.29 MYR 17.50

-71.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$19.66 MYR 80.2

-35.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-72.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$4.96 MYR 20.24

-69.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.74 MYR 3.02

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$13.50 MYR 55.1

-14.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.24 MYR 5.07

-39.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.26 MYR 5.12

-46.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.84 MYR 19.75

-37.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.67 MYR 2.74

43.28%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$42.5K MYR 173.2K

-26.83%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$34.1K MYR 139.3K

-11.08%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$49.74 MYR 203

105.03%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$4.84 MYR 19.76

21.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$21.61 MYR 88.2

-51.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$39.24 MYR 160

-34.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.16 MYR 29.20

66.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.83 MYR 19.72

-26.92%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$123 MYR 502

254.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$13.1K MYR 53.5K

77.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$60.8 MYR 248

-13.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$12.39 MYR 50.5

175.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$73.2 MYR 299

23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$74.5 MYR 304

27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$401 MYR 1,635

47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$297 MYR 1,211

0.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$682 MYR 2,782

89.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$482 MYR 1,964

47.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,898 MYR 7,742

146.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$945 MYR 3,856

101.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$366 MYR 1,493

33.77%

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 Kampar: 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%

Kampar

$297 33.2% 0.3% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kampar

$260 29.1% 25.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kampar

$99 11.1% 18.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kampar

$76 8.5% 35.6% $42

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kampar

$89 9.9% 39.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kampar

$49 5.5% 50% $16

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kampar

$24 2.7% 44% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $401 in Kampar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 34% 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 $19.00 in Kampar. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $260, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Kampar

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

12:19 12:19 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

98,878

💱 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) Kampar 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kampar

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 Kampar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Kampar. 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.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $401 in Kampar. 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 $894 in Kampar – a 4% 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 17% less than in Kampar. 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 $894 in Kampar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kampar. 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 Kampar 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 4% less than in Kampar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.