Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $909 in Kepong, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. The total is higher in Kepong 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kepong
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Kepong Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $909 in Kepong.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kepong $909

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,366 in Kepong.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kepong $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,823 in Kepong.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kepong $1,823

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 6% less than in Kepong, 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, Kepong 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.75 MYR 15.31

-49.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$24.50 MYR 100.0

-6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.94 MYR 20.13

-8.10%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.01 MYR 12.28

-38.54%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.87 MYR 3.55

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-68.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$5.84 MYR 23.81

-70.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.04 MYR 4.24

6.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.42 MYR 5.81

-29.58%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.80 MYR 7.34

-7.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.81 MYR 40.00

23.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.30 MYR 13.47

11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.58 MYR 39.08

6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.31 MYR 13.51

-10.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.71 MYR 11.06

-42.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.70 MYR 6.93

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.47 MYR 5.99

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-30.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-43.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.55 MYR 2.22

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.17 MYR 17.00

-70.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$13.90 MYR 56.7

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-48.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.82 MYR 3.34

-68.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.06 MYR 49.18

-4.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.38 MYR 1.56

76.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.05 MYR 36.91

-66.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.86 MYR 3.53

11.63%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-24.77%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

-5.18%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$49.51 MYR 202

105.98%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.27 MYR 33.74

-28.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$27.27 MYR 111

-61.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$39.01 MYR 159

-34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$6.74 MYR 27.48

76.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.86 MYR 19.82

-27.37%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$164 MYR 668

166.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$4,528 MYR 18.5K

414.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$54.7 MYR 223

-3.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$24.36 MYR 99.4

40.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$82.3 MYR 336

9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$84.5 MYR 345

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$404 MYR 1,649

45.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$303 MYR 1,235

-1.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$668 MYR 2,726

93.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$482 MYR 1,967

47.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,997 MYR 8,147

134.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,073 MYR 4,378

77.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$644 MYR 2,628

-23.99%

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 Kepong: 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%

Kepong

$303 33.3% 1.7% $5

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kepong

$228 25.1% 10.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kepong

$111 12.2% 9.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kepong

$85 9.4% 28.1% $33

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kepong

$115 12.6% 81% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kepong

$49 5.4% 49.5% $16

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kepong

$18 2% 9.5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $404 in Kepong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kepong pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $25.00 in Kepong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $228 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Kepong

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

12:22 12:22 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

85,960

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kepong 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kepong

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 Kepong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Kepong. 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.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Kepong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $404 in Kepong. 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 $909 in Kepong – a 6% 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 5% less than in Kepong. 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 $909 in Kepong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kepong. 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 Kepong 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 6% less than in Kepong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.