Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kangar, Perlis

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $956 in Kangar, Perlis, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Kangar, Perlis despite lower rent and utilities.

42

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 Kangar, Perlis
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Kangar, Perlis Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kangar, Perlis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $956 in Kangar, Perlis.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kangar, Perlis $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,408 in Kangar, Perlis.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kangar, Perlis $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,861 in Kangar, Perlis.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kangar, Perlis $1,861

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 10% less than in Kangar, Perlis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kangar, Perlis 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.57 MYR 14.55

-46.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$21.50 MYR 87.7

6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.40 MYR 17.97

3.18%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.86 MYR 11.68

-35.31%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.38 MYR 1.56

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.79 MYR 15.48

-72.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$4.97 MYR 20.27

-65.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.05 MYR 4.29

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-39.76%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.01 MYR 8.21

-16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.31 MYR 54.3

-9.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.47 MYR 18.24

-17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.54 MYR 38.93

7.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.43 MYR 14.01

-13.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.82 MYR 7.41

-31.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.54 MYR 10.37

-38.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.80 MYR 7.36

-27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.13 MYR 4.61

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.03 MYR 4.20

11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.03 MYR 4.19

-28.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.58 MYR 2.36

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.92 MYR 20.09

-74.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$20.09 MYR 82.0

-37.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.60 MYR 10.62

-63.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.90 MYR 15.91

-60.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.82 MYR 3.36

-68.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.92 MYR 52.7

-10.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.21 MYR 4.94

-38.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.52 MYR 2.10

28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$7.58 MYR 30.91

-60.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.77 MYR 3.12

24.68%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$45.6K MYR 186.2K

-31.94%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$33.4K MYR 136.1K

-9.00%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$44.60 MYR 182

128.65%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.52 MYR 38.84

-38.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.94 MYR 102

-57.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$36.59 MYR 149

-30.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.71 MYR 31.45

54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.37 MYR 17.83

-19.22%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$211 MYR 861

106.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$6,606 MYR 26.9K

252.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$50.9 MYR 208

3.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$38.96 MYR 159

-12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$84.0 MYR 342

7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$72.3 MYR 295

31.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$348 MYR 1,422

69.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$333 MYR 1,357

-10.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$749 MYR 3,057

72.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$493 MYR 2,012

44.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,142 MYR 8,738

118.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,088 MYR 4,437

75.03%

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 Kangar, Perlis: 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%

Kangar, Perlis

$333 34.8% 11.7% $35

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kangar, Perlis

$258 27% 24.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kangar, Perlis

$111 11.6% 9.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kangar, Perlis

$79 8.3% 33.2% $39

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kangar, Perlis

$110 11.5% 72.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kangar, Perlis

$45 4.7% 39.1% $13

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kangar, Perlis

$20 2.1% 20.2% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $348 in Kangar, Perlis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $22.00 in Kangar, Perlis. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $258, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Kangar, Perlis

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

284,853

💱 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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Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kangar, Perlis 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kangar, Perlis

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 Kangar, Perlis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Kangar, Perlis. 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 $1,434 in Kangar, Perlis 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 $348 in Kangar, Perlis. 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 $956 in Kangar, Perlis – a 11% 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 12% less than in Kangar, Perlis. 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 $956 in Kangar, Perlis, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kangar, Perlis. 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 Kangar, Perlis 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 11% less than in Kangar, Perlis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.